


We Intertwined

by starlightened



Series: My Darling Raincloud [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Demisexuality, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Smut, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Loss of Virginity, Love Confessions, Making Love, Masturbation in Shower, Mutual Pining, Opposites Attract, Oral Sex, Slow Burn, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-19
Updated: 2017-04-26
Packaged: 2018-10-20 18:15:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 39,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10668105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlightened/pseuds/starlightened
Summary: As a child, Ignis' favourite bedtime story was the one about the creation of humans, and the soulmate that he was destined to find one day.Raine never cared to indulge in those silly tales.____Slow burn fic about Ignis and Raine, two people from two very different worlds, who are forced to come to terms with the fact that the Astrals have paired them together as soulmates—even though they cannot stand each other's presence.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My first attempt at a longer story! This snowballed from the Prompto soulmate AU that I wrote previously. I hope you guys like it! I really wanted to explore my headcanon that Ignis is demisexual, and so he'd need some time to fall in love with someone mentally before be wanting to pursue something more physical. 
> 
> And it's always fun when opposites attract.
> 
> Follow my FFXV writing blog, nifwrites.tumblr.com! :)

Ever since he was a child, Ignis had a curious mind. He was always seeking knowledge, always curious to know minute facts about seemingly insignificant things. He wanted to know about the geography of Eos, the traditions of the Lucian royal line, the tales of Ramuh and Shiva. He loved hearing those stories, loved falling asleep to his mother’s voice, telling him about the might of the Archaean.

But Ignis’ favourite bedtime story by far was the one about soulmates.

“It’s said that everyone has a soulmate,” she’d told him one night, running her slim fingers through his tawny hair. “The Astrals created life on Eos. Creatures that walked on four legs with four arms and two heads. They had two hearts, two brains, and two souls. The gods were so afraid of their power that they split them in two, and humans have been wandering Eos in search of their missing halves ever since.”

Ignis instinctively reached for the mark on the back of his left shoulder. It was shaped like a meteor, with a few small patches of distinct discolouration. Ignis’ mother smiled down at her son, tucking the sheets up to his chin.

“You’ll find your soulmate one day,” she promised. “They’ll have the same mark as you, except it will be mirrored. It’s said that your soulmate marking is where the two of you were connected in a past life.” 

She leaned down and kissed his forehead, and Ignis let out a yawn, his eyes fluttering shut. “I pray that your soulmate finds you someday, Ignis,” she whispered. “It’s the strongest love you will ever know.”

Those words stuck with Ignis through his adolescence and into his adulthood. He’d met people in the academy, both women and men who he found intriguing, but in the Capital, there weren’t many people willing to be with someone who wasn’t their destined match. He’d fancied a girl when he was fifteen, took her on a date and kissed her, but they both knew it felt wrong. He’d mostly given up on searching after that.

Not that he’d have much time in any case. Noctis was getting older, and that meant that Ignis needed to keep a closer eye on him. Gladio trained him while Ignis cooked, cleaned, drove him to and from school and everything in between. It was a monotonous life, but it was comfortable.

Sometimes, in moments of quiet, Ignis would imagine what his life would be like once he found his soulmate. They would get married, maybe buy a house not far from the palace. He knew he wanted a family someday, and he and his soulmate would bicker over picking the right names. He’d still serve Noctis as his advisor, but part of his life would be his own.

Then Ignis’ phone would ring, pulling him out of his thoughts. He tucked away his fantasies of a simpler life in the back of his mind and carried on with fulfilling his duty to the Crown.

He’d been summoned by Noctis, along with Gladio and Prompto, by none other than His Majesty. Noctis stood upon the platform at the top of the first set of stairs, looking up at his father as he was told of his fate. Noctis was to go to Altissia to wed Lady Lunafreya, and his Crownsguard were to accompany him.

It seemed like a simple enough task. That was, until the Regalia broke down not long after they left the city limits and found themselves stranded in the middle of nowhere.

___________

Raine rolled her shoulders, her muscles still sore from the arduous hunt from the day before. _I hate coeurls,_ she decided, wincing as pain shot through her tattooed right arm. The wings of a phoenix curled around her wrist, the head of the legendary bird resting towards the top of her shoulder. More of the tattoo design spread out onto her back towards her spine, framing the meteor-shaped mark she’d had since before she could remember.

She’d never been one to indulge in those silly stories, though. She knew better—knew that Fate was a hateful bitch, one that took more than it gave and left you with less than nothing.

Raine counted her gil from the collected bounty. She set aside half and put it in an envelope, scribbling down the mailing address and sighing once she’d finished. Tossing her long, sapphire braid over her shoulder and slipping on a ratty old cardigan, she went off to mail the money before holing up for the rest of the evening.

Hammerhead was nice enough. The people in the town had cute accents, a noticeable drawl that made them seem even more friendly than they already were. It was a decent place to hole up for a hunter, with bounties always being posted in Takka’s restaurant. 

Hunters passed through the area all the time. Hammerhead was far enough out into the middle of nowhere that beasts were always terrorizing some locals, or destroying crops and causing a general nuisance. It kept Raine employed and able to afford enough to eat, so she never really complained when she stopped by for a visit.

Raine had just mailed off the envelope when she caught a glimpse of something along the horizon. She squinted at it, her almond eyes narrowing as a strange shape slowly came into view.

It was a car—a black convertible, by the looks of it, being pushed by three men with one in the front seat. She couldn’t quite make out their features, but they did not look like they were having the greatest time trying to get the car into Cindy’s garage.

Raine kept an eye on the group of men approaching at a snail’s pace while she sauntered over to Cindy. “Looks like someone’s having car trouble.”

Cindy grinned cheekily, checking Raine with her hip. “Not just anyone, sugar. That there’s Prince Noctis.”

A skeptical eyebrow shot up, and Raine looked back at the car that was now finally being pushed into the service station parking lot. “Shorter than he looks on TV,” was all she said.

Cindy winked at her. “Come on, Raincloud. Let’s go say hi.”

“You go ahead,” Raine shook her head with a smile. “I’ve got a call to make.” Cindy shrugged and Raine heard her sweet voice floating through the air as she greeted the Prince and his entourage.

Raine stepped away from the noise with her phone up to her ear. She dialled the familiar number and waited for an answer. When the phone went straight to voicemail, she got concerned.

 _Dave always answers his phone,_ she thought to herself, her brows knitted in worry. _Where is he…?_

Raine wracked her brain trying to remember where he’d last been. He was definitely still in Hammerhead. He told her that he had some business to sort out and that he’d meet up with her in a day or so. But she hadn’t heard anything since. She started to fear the worst.

Cindy caught sight of a very stressed looking Raine rolling up the sleeves to her cardigan and setting out towards the road. “Hey, sweetie!” she called after her. “Where’re you off to?”

“Dave’s missing,” Raine replied, not stopping. “I’m going to go find him.”

“Now?” Cindy chewed on her lower lip. “But it’s gettin’ dark.”

Raine sighed, turning to face her friend. “I’ll be fine, Cindy. Really. I know how to take care of myself.”

Suddenly, Cindy’s eyes lit up. “I know!” she declared, spinning on her heel to face the Prince and his three friends. “You can go with her!”

“Excuse me?” Raine and another member of the party said at once. The voice had been more sophisticated sounding than she’d been used to hearing, with a lilt that could only mean either high breeding or higher education. She peered over Cindy’s shoulder and eyed each person, playing the guessing game to see which body it belonged to.

Raine recognized the Prince right away. Had heard him speak too, on TV a few times. The blond beside him looked a little too rakish and civilian for it to be him. The way he bounced idly on his heels told her that he didn’t have much discipline, so he was out too. The tall guy covered in tattoos with a shirt that barely served as a garment was also out—looks could be deceiving, but no one with a lilt like that to their voice had a hairstyle like that, either.

Then she glanced at the fourth member of their group. He was tall and slim, with glasses perched on his nose. He more perfectly ironed pants, a dark purple button up that was properly tucked in with a suit jacket over top. He also wore silver driving gloves, and had an air of snootiness that was unmistakable. He must have been the one who piped up.

“We’d love to help!” The blond declared, breaking the awkward silence that had settled amongst the group. “Right, guys?”

“It’ll be a while ’til the car’s ready anyway,” the Prince shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”

Raine pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index finger. Ignis felt a strange pressure in his sinuses, and took his glasses off to wipe them down. 

“Look, just don’t get in my way, okay?”

The blond gave a thumbs up to the other three and Raine pretended she didn’t see it. She marched on ahead, hearing the slapping of feet on pavement as they followed along after her.

_What am I getting myself into?_


	2. Chapter 2

They found Dave in an abandoned old shack. He was alive, as it turned out, just with a sprained ankle and a hit to his pride. Ignis watched with passive fascination as something akin to anger, or perhaps maternal worry, flared up in the dark brown of Raine’s irises. She kept her voice low as she reprimanded the older man, and he seemed genuinely repentant. Ignis couldn’t help but note that she had a temper on her, possibly worse than Gladio’s.

He’d given her a once-over. Raine was tall for a woman, but still shorter than him by about five inches. She was lean and agile, something that Ignis attributed to her time as a hunter. She wasn’t the most beautiful girl Ignis had ever laid eyes on, but her features were quite striking. She had sharp almond eyes, glinting with intelligence, and Ignis found himself wondering what her full, pink lips would look like smiling. 

Raine had certainly frowned enough for everyone else. She reminded him a bit of Cor, except where Cor’s nature and temperament leaned more towards the quiet military veteran, Ignis could tell that Raine was only behaving this way to place a wall between herself and the others. For what reason, he couldn’t surmise.

Ignis studied her a moment longer. Her sleeve tattoo reminded him of Gladio’s. Long feathers stretched out along her olive skin, disappearing up into a bird of some kind that he hadn’t spotted because of the cardigan she wore, rolled up to her elbows. Her hair was long and an unnatural shade of dark blue, and Ignis wondered how it didn’t get in the way during combat.

“She’s pretty cool,” Prompto said, snapping Ignis out of his thoughts. The cheery blond had his arms behind his head, leaning against the white plastic picnic chairs outside of the camper they’d rented for the evening.

“She definitely knows how to fight,” Gladio replied. “Pretty impressive, considering I don’t think she’s had any formal training. She’s a bit sloppy here and there, but she knows how to get the job done quickly.”

“Oh!” Prompto shot up in his seat. Noctis lowered his phone just slightly to peer at his friend. “We should totally ask her to join us on the road!”

Noctis couldn’t help but snort. Ignis kept his arms folded over his chest.

“You just want her to come along so you can ogle her some more,” Noctis teased, before returning to his game of King’s Knight. Prompto huffed, snatching his phone off the table.

“Do not.”

Ignis’ lips pressed into a thin line, and he tried his best to keep his face as neutral as possible. What Noctis said had bothered him, though he couldn’t quite pinpoint why. Raine was attractive, he supposed, but her personality left much to be desired. She was too brash, too reckless, too confrontational—he’d only known her from a distance for a day and he could already see all of those things. The thought of her joining them on the road was most definitely a terrible idea.

“Noct,” he spoke up, turning his head to the Prince, who was barely paying any attention to him.

“Hm?”

“Might I suggest not allowing Raine to join us while we make our way to Altissia?”

Noctis glanced up briefly, his interest somewhat piqued. “Why not?”

Ignis struggled to find a reason that didn’t seem petty. It only took half a second to recompose himself.

“First of all, we barely know her,” he stated. “We know that she’s a hunter, yes, but what if she’s a Niflheim sympathizer and we’re caught unaware? What if she tries to harm you, or what if she’s not being as honest as she claims?”

“Geez, Iggy,” Gladio leaned back in his seat, his head tilted to the side. “You sound mighty suspicious. What’s up with you?”

“I’m merely trying to weigh the pros and cons of a stranger joining us on such an important mission when we barely know her,” Ignis insisted. “Perhaps she is as she says, simply a hunter looking for the next bounty. But we must be more careful—not everyone outside of the Crown City is a fan of the Royal Family.”

Prompto paused his game. “Well,” he countered, “What if she could be, like, our guide or something? You know, help us get the lay of the land so we don’t get lost in the middle of nowhere again. She could be a great ally, too. My gut’s never wrong about people, and I think she seems pretty cool.”

“Her face helps, too,” Gladio smirked. Ignis pushed his irritation back down, his features smooth and visually unaffected.

“The decision is Noct’s.”

Noctis just shrugged, forever noncommittal. “We can ask her. If she wants to join, she’s more than welcome.”

Ignis gave a curt nod and rose to his feet. If they were to add another passenger to the Regalia, he had a feeling he needed as much rest as possible for a long day of travel.

__________

The next morning, Raine felt tense. It wasn’t a usual tenseness of her muscles, nor was it one of her headaches that came and went whenever it was going to rain. She felt nervous, almost anxious, like there was a force within her that was making her lungs burn.

The blond from yesterday that was making eyes at Cindy came rushing over to her as she opened a can of Ebony that she bought in the convenience store. Normally she didn’t care for the stuff, but she woke up that morning with a craving. 

“Hey, good morning!” Prompto, he said his name was, beamed at her. She couldn’t help but smile back—his joy seemed to be contagious, even though she wasn’t really in the mood for chit chat.

“Morning,” she greeted with a nod of her head, arms folded over her chest as she kept the can of Ebony dangled in one hand. “What do you need, squirt?”

“Came to ask you something on behalf of the guys,” he said, going on with that idle bouncing of his. He reminded Raine a little bit of Clara—but as soon as the thought entered her mind, she shoved it back down. The name alone made her heart clench. She forced herself to focus on Prompto’s cheerful face.

Raine looked over to where the Regalia was parked. The big guy, Gladio, and the snob, Ignis, were loading things into the trunk that she couldn’t see. She could assume well enough though. Most likely food ingredients and potions. Noctis was dozing off in the back seat. Raine couldn’t help but snort.

Prompto put his face back into Raine’s line of vision before speaking. “The guys and I wanted to know if you wanted to join us on the road!”

Raine blinked a few times before giving him a skeptical look. “You want me to go with you?”

“Yeah!” Prompto exclaimed, like the idea in itself wasn’t completely ridiculous. “You’re a hunter, right? You can help us on the road. We definitely need it, that’s for sure. We almost got lost on the way here, and it’s pretty much a direct road from the Crown City to Hammerhead. You know the area better than we do, and we need to get Noctis to Altissia.”

Raine took a sip from her can and swished the bitter drink in her mouth for a moment. Something felt different about it. Instead of its usual sourness, she could almost pick out different notes in the drink that she’d never noticed before. Slightly floral, with just the tiniest hint of chocolate.

“I don’t think your high class friend could appreciate me coming along.”

Prompto looked surprised. “Who, Ignis?” He turned to look at his lanky friend, who was trying to no avail to wake Noctis up. “He’s a really nice guy. Just kind of…reserved, I guess. He’s been looking after Not since he was a baby, so he’s a little protective. But you’ll like him, you’ll see!”

“I still don’t really see what would be in it for me to join you,” she said finally, and Prompto’s smile faltered.

“Well, if I’m being honest,” his voice dropped slightly. “You seem…lonely. I don’t know what it is. And I know you’re a hunter, and I guess hunters are usually lone wolves, but you don’t have to be. Looks like it’s bothering you that you have to be by yourself all the time.”

_Well, didn’t that hit the nail on the fucking head._

“It might be a nice change of pace,” Raine conceded, letting out the tiniest sigh. Prompto pumped a fist into the air.

“Yeah! Oh man, this is gonna be awesome! Come on, we’re just packing up the Regalia now. Do you have anything you need to bring with you?”

Raine pointed to a backpack that was sitting beside her on the ground. “I don’t have a lot. Change of clothes, whittling knife, matches, a book or two. When you’re on the road, you learn to travel light.”

“Duly noted,” Prompto said with a nod. “Come on, we’re gonna leave soon for Galdin Quay.”

Raine waved goodbye to Cindy and followed Prompto to the Regalia. Gladio waved at her, and smacked Noctis on the back of the head to wake him up. Ignis didn’t greet her, just stared. She cast a sneer his way and climbed over Noctis’ lap onto the middle seat before dropping down to settle in between him and Gladio.

“Good to have you with us,” Gladio clapped Raine on the back. She jostled forward under the strength of his small gesture. She brought her braid over her shoulder and subconsciously played with the ends.

“One tour guide at your service,” she said, giving a forced looking smile. Raine caught Ignis’ eyes int he rearview mirror watching her from the driver’s seat as he started up the car. She glared back at him, her gaze unwavering. “Can I help you, Four-Eyes?”

“I was just checking to see if you had the common decency to keep your muddied boots off the leather of the upholstery when you boarded the vehicle,” he stated in a clipped tone. “It would seem, much to my chagrin, that you did not.”

“Sorry,” Raine shot back. “They didn’t teach me manners where I’m from. I also don’t know which fork is for salads and which one is for steak. Couldn’t seem to find the spoon though, maybe it got stuck up your—”

“Let’s get going, shall we?” Prompto suddenly interrupted. “Hey! Music? Anyone? Good idea!” He then proceeded to turn on the car’s sound system, the sound drowning out any possible bickering between the two.

Raine sighed and sank into her seat as Ignis pulled out of the Hammerhead rest station.

 _This is probably a bad idea,_ she thought to herself. As Ignis made a sharp turn, nearly lurching her right into Gladio’s lap and causing a wave of nausea to wash over her, she glowered. _Definitely a bad idea._


	3. Chapter 3

The journey to Galdin Quay wasn’t as bad as Raine had expected. They stopped a few times for gas and to collect a quick bounty, but otherwise, the trip was smooth. 

Watching the others during combat was so interesting to her. Gladio obviously had the most formal training out of all of them, wielding his great sword as if it weighed nothing in his giant hands. He barked commands at Noctis, like they were back at the palace and he was teaching him how to spar. 

The Prince wasn't half bad either, though she was shocked at how quick his reflexes were considering he looked to be half-asleep ever since she was introduced to him. Prompto was a little more of a live wire, and Raine had to shout at him more than once to watch where he was aiming his gun.

Ignis though…she’d never seen someone fight like him before. He was graceful, but also incredibly deadly. He was the group’s strategist, that much was clear. Whether or not they followed his instructions was a whole other conversation. He used daggers and pole arms just like her, as it turned out. She tried not to look too irritated when he got the final blow on a spiracorn just as she was about to finish it off.

“Best not to linger,” was all he said to her before turning on his heel and marching back to the car with his chin up. Raine mimicked his walk, as if she had a stack of books atop her head, and also pretended to curtsy to Noctis when he held the door open for her. Ignis pretended not to notice her mockery.

When they finally got to Galdin Quay, Raine let them run off towards the dock on their own while she made her way over to where Dave had parked his weapons truck. He was seated on the ledge of the bumper, the usual scowl on his face softening just slightly at the sight of his old friend.

“Hey,” she waved, nudging him so that he could make room. He scooted over and Raine sat beside him.

“Interesting entourage you’ve found,” he remarked, and Raine rolled her eyes.

“Don’t ask. It’s only temporary. Blondie’s a sweet kid, and so’s the Prince, even though he naps more than any cat I’ve ever met. Big Guy’s easy on the eyes too, but that uptight advisor?” Raine shook her head. “I’ve picked scabs with more personality.”

Dave’s chest shook with a laugh. “Well, he can’t be that bad if you’re willingly travelling with him.”

Raine shrugged. “I wouldn’t have to be such an ass to him if he would just look at me like I was his equal, you know? I’ve seen that look before. Just because you look different, or live a certain way, people like that think you’re below them. That judgment, I fuckin’ hate it. So if he’s going to be a dick to me, I’m gonna be a dick to him.”

Dave patted Raine on the shoulder. “At this rate, the two of you’ll probably fall in love.”

Raine couldn’t help but laugh out lout at the notion. “You know how the universe works, Dave. That whole soulmate mumbo-jumbo. If I do have one that isn’t long dead by now, I doubt I’m gonna find them in Leide.” She sighed, fiddling with the end of her braid with a sad smile. “Would be nice to settle down, though. Have a family, a normal life for a change.”

Dave placed a comforting hand on her knee. “You’ll find them, kid. Don’t worry about that.”

Raine offered up the tiniest of smiles before changing the subject. “How’s Ben?”

Dave’s eyes lit up at the mention of his name. “He’s good. Hunkering down in Lestallum right now, waiting for me to get home. We’re trying to save up to buy a house just outside of the city, somewhere a little more quiet.”

“Aw, you two are so domestic!” Raine cooed, pinching Dave’s cheek. He swatted her hand away. “You gonna invite me to the housewarming?”

“Keep pinching me and you won’t be alive before we sign the papers,” he warned, though the grin on his face betrayed his tone. After a moment of comfortable silence, he asked, “How’s your grandma?”

Raine tugged on her braid. “She’s alright, I guess. I haven’t visited in a while, but I send her half of what I make so that she can afford to be comfortable. Which I guess is going to end up being less now if I keep travelling with these guys and take twenty percent rather than the whole share.”

“You could tell them, you know.”

Raine narrowed her eyes at her fellow hunter. “They don’t need to know anything more about me than they already do.”

“Raine—”

“C’mon, Dave. You don’t like the Ice Queen persona? I think it suits me quite nicely.”

Dave sighed, scratching the back of his head. “All I’m saying is that they’re not bad people. And you could use some friends, you know?” He looked over towards the resort and saw the four of them walking down the bridge towards the truck. “And look, here they come.”

Raine crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back, raising a curious eyebrow at them.

“There’s no boat,” Noctis stated flatly. “We’re gonna have to find another way to get to Altissia.”

“Tomorrow,” Ignis clarified. “We’ll need to rest for the evening. We’ve already booked a room over at the inn.”

“A room?” Raine asked, her tone flat with sarcasm. “As in _one_ room? As in I have to share with the four of you?” She leaned forward, her eyes squinting ever so slightly. “You do realize how I might not be overly excited about sharing a room with four strange men that I’ve only just met?”

“Or,” Ignis copied her posture, arms over his chest and a slight lean to his torso. “You could sleep outside. Which, I’m sure you’re much more accustomed to.”

Raine reached behind her as if to grab a weapon from Dave’s inventory, but he smacked her hand away. “I expect one of you _gentlemen,”_ she aimed the word at Ignis, “to take the couch. That’s all I’m saying.”

___________

The next morning, Raine woke up at dawn to go outside for her usual morning run. She glanced around the room, counting three bodies. Ignis, who had taken the hint and slept on the couch, was absent. Thinking nothing of it, she left the hotel and walked outside.

Galdin Quay was beautiful at dawn. The sky was a rosy orange and the air was cool. The salt of the ocean breeze hit her nose, and she realized how desperately she wanted to go swimming. But she didn’t have any of her swimming clothes, so unfortunately she’d have to settle for a run.

Raine jogged back and forth through the sand, her legs burning after her third lap. She pushed through the buildup of lactic acid in her muscles and skidded to a halt once she did her fifth, stopping to catch her breath. Raine glanced up and saw Ignis by the items shack, gripping a newspaper in his gloved hands.

She went against her conscious and made her way over to him. “Good morning,” she greeted, in a considerably better mood now that her endorphins were up. “What are you reading?”

Ignis turned to look at her wordlessly. The expression on his face was cold, but it wasn’t the usual look of disdain that he reserved for her. It was something bigger than that. He handed the paper over to Raine, who read the headline over and over until she felt dizzy.

**_Insomnia falls._ **


	4. Chapter 4

The King was dead.

Raine had gone with the guys to a spot that overlooked Insomnia, just at the border, dodging and eliminating any Magitek troopers that got in their way. Seeing their glowing eyes made her nauseous, and she fought against the tightening of her throat as they pressed on.

When she laid her eyes on the destruction though…it was too much for her to take.

The city was on fire. 

The once beautiful capital of Lucis had crumbled, leaving nothing but the skeleton if its former self. Raine saw Noctis’ clenched fists shaking. Prompto tapped into a radio frequency that broadcast to all of Lucis that not only was the King gone, but that Noctis and Lady Lunafreya were dead as well.

Raine watched as Noctis’ hands trembled as he spoke to someone on the phone. She backed away to give him privacy, her arms around herself as the rain mixed in with her tears. Prompto came over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Hey,” he said softly enough so that no one else could hear. “Are you okay?”

Raine smiled and patted his hand. “I’m not the one you should be worried about.”

Noctis hung up the phone. The others looked at him expectantly. “We have to go back to Hammerhead.”

__________

They stopped to camp that evening. Gladio pitched the tent while Ignis started up the portable stove to make something for dinner. Raine set to work on starting the fire while Prompto and Noctis got the groceries and lawn chairs respectively.

There were only four seats available, so Raine decided to just sit on the ground by the warmth of the flames. Ignis had half-expected her to make some sort of backhanded quip, but thankfully, she kept her mouth shut.

Ignis got to work preparing the stew, thankful that it had finally stopped raining. There was nothing more dreadful than camping in the rain, and there wasn’t a motel for miles. Ignis refused to drive after dark with the daemons lurking around, and Noctis wasn’t in the correct headspace to be behind the wheel.

Lost in thought, Ignis accidentally set his finger down too close to the hot stove. His glove protected him from any additional damage, but he could tell that he had at least burned himself slightly. From a few feet away, Raine winced and shook out her hand.

The movement caught Ignis’ eye and he glanced over at where she sat. Noctis and Prompto were playing King’s Knight, trying to find a way to distract him from his new reality by any means necessary. Glad was reading a book, reclined in his chair with his chin resting on his fist.

Raine, though, was staring at a piece of paper. Ignis craned his neck over to see what was on it, and saw that it was a photograph of a young girl. She had dark hair, similar to the colour of Raine’s roots that weren’t coated in a deep blue, the same olive skin and almond eyes.

Ignis felt a cold jolt run through his body as Raine’s eyes snapped over to him, looking entirely unfriendly. He felt like a child getting caught by a parent whilst doing something wrong, and he turned his had back to focus on stirring the stew.

“What?” Raine’s voice cut through the heavy silence. It wasn’t as bold or strong as it had been the day prior, but instead sounded thin and sparse, like she’d been crying and her throat was threatening to close. But Ignis hadn’t seen any tears earlier—had he?

“I was just…” Ignis trailed off, suddenly unsure of what to say. The others had perked their heads up from their devices to cautiously watch the scene unfold. “I suppose I was just curious as to what you were looking at so intently. My apologies. I did not mean to intrude.”

Raine let out a scoff that sounded more familiar. “You’re actually apologizing to me?” She shook her head. “Incredible. Between what happened at the Crown City and Noctis apparently being dead, I guess anything is possible.”

“What _are_ you looking at, though?” Prompto had to ask, his curiosity getting the best of him. 

Raine hesitated, and Ignis could see the shifting of her eyes, as if she was fighting with herself over her next carefully chosen words.

“My sister,” she said finally. “Clara.”

She handed the photo carefully over to Prompto, who held it between himself and Noctis so that they could look at it together. The print itself was small, a wallet-sized image that she kept on her at all times. The edges were worn and yellowed, and there was a distinct crease in the upper right hand corner from it being moved around so much.

Noctis handed the photo over to Gladio, who let out a small grunt. “She looks like you.”

“Where is she now?” Prompto asked, as Gladio handed the picture over to Ignis. Now that he could see it up close, he really did see the resemblance between the two. They looked nearly identical, except the girl in the photograph was incredibly young. He surmised that Clara couldn’t have been older than five or six.

Ignis gave the photo back to Raine, who carefully cradled it in her hands. “She died.”

A heavy silence settled over the camp again. In the light of the fire, Ignis could see tears pricking at the corners of Raine’s eyes. She pulled out her wallet and tucked the photo away for safekeeping, almost as if she couldn’t bear to look at it for a moment longer.

“I’m sorry.” The words left his mouth before he could stop them.

Raine offered him a sad smile in return. “It’s okay. Happened a few years ago.” She turned to Noctis, who’d started intently staring down at his boots. “I’m so sorry for your loss, Noctis. I really am.”

All he did was give a small nod, and Ignis could tell that his mind was somewhere else. Anywhere else but at camp, anywhere else but in the reality of his situation.

After they’d finished supper and cleaned up the dishes, the group decided that it was time for bed. The tent was large, more than enough for the five of them, and of course, the spot they had assigned to Raine happened to be by the wall furthest from the entrance, right beside Ignis.

Raine often got cold when she slept, so she kept her cardigan on and snuggled into her bedroll. Her back faced Ignis, and she desperately tried to fall asleep as quickly as possible, squeezing her eyes shut and doing her best to welcome the darkness.

Ignis always slept on his back— _better for one’s posture_ —and stared at the ceiling of the tent, unable to stop his mind from reeling. The King was dead, and undoubtedly Clarus Amicitia, Gladio’s father, had perished in the fight as well. Gladio didn’t seem as distraught as Ignis had expected, but then again, the Amicitias had guarded the Kings of Lucis since the first King. His father knew the risk, and Gladio had accepted his own as Noctis’ Royal Shield.

Noctis never had any problem sleeping, so it was to no one’s surprise that he immediately turned over and lost consciousness. Prompto usually stayed up to play on his phone, the brightness turned down so as not to wake the others up, but even on this night, likely worn out from the day’s events, he too was asleep, scooted slightly closer to Gladio to steal some of his warmth.

And then there was Raine. Ignis turned his head to his right, silently watching the blue haired girl as her breathing evened out, signalling her entrance into the realm of dreams.

Ignis didn’t hate her. He didn’t particularly like her either, but when he saw the photograph of Clara, he realized that part of the reason why she was so guarded and so hostile was that she carried deep emotional baggage, the pain from an indescribable loss.

He wondered for a moment if he’d been too hard on her when they first met. She was brash, yes, but was she any more brash than Gladio, or even Noctis on a particularly bad day? She had a mouth on her similar to Prompto’s, unafraid to string curse words together that he’d never heard in such rapid succession.

But Ignis wasn’t a stupid man—he could tell by the expression on her face that she thought he was a snob. He’d been fortunate to have grown up within the Citadel, yes, but Ignis had always tried his best to remind himself that not everyone was given the same privileges as him. But the way that Raine looked at him, the disgust in her eyes when he made a quip to Noctis about mending his torn clothes, or denouncing something shabby as unacceptable felt like a personal attack.

And he couldn’t help but resent her for that.

Just as Ignis was about to close his eyes, he heard a small whimper coming from his right. He thought that maybe he’d heard something from outside, the cries of a wounded animal along the edge of the camp, but then he heard it again.

It was Raine.

Ignis sat up on his elbows and turned to her. She was shaking all over, her fists clutching at her blankets with white knuckles as tears leaked from her eyes. She mumbled quiet, incoherent words in her sleep and Ignis felt his heart clench as he heard her whimper out Clara’s name.

He was unsure what to do. Raine was having some sort of nightmare, her face distorted in a look of total anguish. Ignis hesitantly lifted his ungloved hand and rested it on her arm. He did what his mother would do whenever he had nightmares, and hummed a gentle lullaby while stroking his thumb along the fabric of her cardigan.

Raine’s features softened, and for a moment in her sleep, she almost looked confused. But her tears slowly stopped, and her breathing started to even out again. Subconsciously, she reached for Ignis’ hand, but before their fingers could touch, he withdrew.

Raine’s nightmares didn’t return again that night, but Ignis remained awake. He laid flat on his back, his eyes glued to the roof of the tent, wondering why his heart started to drum faster in his chest at the thought of her hand holding onto his.


	5. Chapter 5

Raine had always been an early riser. She liked watching the sun come up, liked to take comfort in knowing that she was able to exist for at least one more day. That was her motto as of late— _just stay alive_. It was a simple goal, she thought, but the more she travelled with that ragtag group of men, the more she wondered if it was actually achievable.

Raine had been with them for about a week. That first night, Raine had been having another nightmare. She relived the day that Clara had been taken from her, her tiny fingers slipping through her hand as Raine plummeted into the darkness below.

But then, it was the strangest thing—a voice pulled her out. She could barely hear it, but it was there. Someone was humming to her, a quiet lullaby, the voice causing the darkness to shrink away until she was bathed in the warmth of a bright light.

She felt a hand resting gently on her arm. She went to reach for it, desperate for its touch, but when she came close, it shrank away. 

Raine couldn’t remember anything else from her dream after that. But the nightmares that usually came every night started to subside. So whoever it was that had scared the darkness away, kept it away from her so that she could finally rest, was her saviour.

One morning, Raine decided that she’d had enough of feeling like a vagrant. She tiptoed out of the tent, taking her spare change of clothes and a towel that she’d purchased from a rest stop, and padded over to the riverbank not too far from their most recent campsite.

Dawn was always her favourite. It was calm, most of the world still asleep, and she was able to revel in the quiet sounds of nature. The morning dew soaked her boots as she made her way through the grass to the river’s edge.

The water running through was crystal clear, with thousands of tiny stones lining the bottom. Raine looked around, making sure that no one was watching her, before she started to strip.

She left her boots by the water’s edge with her change of clothes, and brought her dirty laundry into the river with her so she could wash both herself and the garments at the same time.

Raine idly thought to herself as she scrubbed out the dirt from her socks and her shirt. She’d started to grow fond of the guys the longer she travelled with them. They were charming, she supposed, in their own ways.

Noctis, while still a broody, spoiled young prince, couldn’t say no to helping someone if they asked him. The group had spent a few days trying to procure specific ingredients for Takka, and while it was a nice gesture, Raine couldn’t help but wonder why the old man couldn’t just close the diner for a night and find the tomatoes and beans himself.

Prompto, of course, was the biggest sweetheart. He’d made her feel like she was at home with the rest of the group, never excluded her and always tried to make her laugh. He’d succeeded more than once, and even documented it with his camera as proof. Raine wanted to delete the photos, since it was damning evidence of her actually having a good time with a bunch of morons, but decided against it when she realized how happy it made him.

Gladio was someone she knew she’d be able to get along with the moment she met him. He was from her world, or at least adjacent to it. He may have been of noble blood, but the man was a born hunter. Raine could sense it in him, that itch to go off into the wilderness for a few days just to track down a high priced bounty. 

He’d hit on her a few times, and she flirted back. It felt innocent enough, and she knew it would never really go anywhere. She could tell that it was just how Gladio spoke to women.

And then there was Ignis.

Try as she might, Raine couldn’t get a read on him. Was he a snob? Yes. Was he uptight? Also, yes. But she noticed that he had started behaving differently around her. He didn’t look her in the eye, always kept his gaze focused on something else. He’d started avoiding her, too, not engaging in conversation as frequently and keeping his backhanded comments to a minimum.

Raine sighed, flapping out her clothes and leaving them to dry on some nearby rocks before heading back into the cool stream of the river.

Why did it matter that Ignis was ignoring her, anyway? Why did she care so much about what he thought of her? She’d known people of his caliber before, she’d been hired by a few to eliminate some pests encroaching on their territory. But she had never cared about what _they_ thought of her.

What about Ignis was so different?

Raine took the elastic off the end of her braid and slid it around her slender wrist. She undid the plait, letting her hair pool around her shoulders. The sun was starting to rise a little higher, the morning sun in full effect as its rays beat down on her, warming her skin.

She tilted her head back and closed her eyes.

“Morning, Clara,” she whispered. The breeze ran through her long, sapphire hair and she smiled.

__________

Ignis had gotten used to waking up before everyone else. He was always the one up before the alarm on his phone sounded, and was always first to get everyone else ready for the day. But as of late, he’d noticed, he wasn’t the first one up and out of the tent. That title now belonged to Raine.

He’d been avoiding her since her nightmare. He knew that she could tell—she would regard him curiously when he refused to meet her eyes, kept himself busy with other matters like tending whatever he was cooking, or writing in his journal.

 

That particular morning, he’d heard the sound of the mouth of the tent zipping closed. Raine must have just woken up and gone out, possibly to relieve herself. Ignis knew that he should give her privacy, and that she’d probably be out sitting at the lawn chairs within the next few minutes.

When he got up and exited the tent, she was nowhere to be seen.

A pang of worry shot through him. It was strong, and he felt oddly anxious that she wasn’t within eyesight. He was wondering where she could have gone when he heard the sound of splashing coming from near the riverbank.

Ignis made his way through the trees until he spotted a cleaning by the water’s edge. He stayed a suitable distance away, tucked into the shadows. It occurred to him that what he was doing was most definitely inappropriate, but when he saw Raine, his jaw went slack.

She was completely nude, her hair even longer when it was freed from its braid. She stood waist-deep in the river, her freshly-washed clothes out to dry not too far from where she’d left her boots.

Raine stood still for a moment, lifting her chin towards the sun. She mumbled some words he couldn’t hear, and then suddenly she ducked under the water.

Maybe it was his proximity to her in that present moment, and maybe it was just his imagination, but he could have sworn that he could feel the current of the water grazing along his skin. He closed his eyes for a second, imagining himself being that free, allowing himself a moment of reprieve from his arduous life.

When Raine re-emerged from the water, her hair was slicked back and her skin was glowing in the early morning sun. The droplets of water ran along her olive skin, and Ignis felt himself blushing profusely when he noticed how her nipples pebbled in the breeze.

She looked ethereal, combing her long tresses with her fingers, like a siren beckoning him to his demise. He couldn’t keep his eyes off the curve of her waist and the roundness of her breasts as she bathed. Ignis told himself over and over how wrong it was to be ogling her like this, but he never realized how stunning her athletic body was underneath that ratty old cardigan and the torn up jeans she always wore.

 _This is Raine,_ Ignis scolded himself. _The uncouth hunter that is acting as our guide as we traverse along unknown territory. Not someone to peep on like a schoolboy, nor is she someone even consider a future with._

Ignis paused. Since when had he started to envision a future with Raine? Why was it that she was starting to invade his private thoughts, infiltrating his domestic fantasies of a wife and children in a small house near the Citadel?

Not that he’d be able to have that now, not with war looming overhead and the Citadel in ruins. As he reminded himself of Noctis’ loss, he took a moment to be selfish and rue the future that he knew now that he would never be able to have.

Raine dove under the water and popped back up again. She truly did look like a siren to Ignis, her hair the same colour as the deepest recesses of the ocean. After a little while, it seemed as if Raine was finished with her morning swim. Her back was turned to him, and she brought her hair over her shoulder to squeeze some of the water out of it.

And that’s when Ignis saw it. And he felt his blood run cold.

On the back of her right shoulder, framed by the feathers of the Phoenix that coiled up her arm, was a birth mark, identical to his, in the shape of a crashing meteor.

Ignis did the only thing he could think of.

He ran.


	6. Chapter 6

Ignis realized he was pacing, but his legs wouldn’t stop. He was still outside of the campsite, marching in tight circles so quickly that the grass was starting to erode under the red soles of his shoes. His feet protested, but he couldn’t stop his panicked canter.

 _Raine is my soulmate,_ he said to himself. He said it over and over, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get the words to sink in like they needed to. _Raine is my soulmate. Raine is my soulmate._

Ignis thought about all of their interactions since they first met over a week ago. Could it really be possible, or was it a trick being played on him by some outside force?

He quickly ruled out that idea. Raine had never seen Ignis without his shirt on, so she would have never known about his soulmate marking. He let out a wry, sarcastic laugh at the thought of her ever even entertaining the concept of soulmates in the first place. The girl was cynical, to put it lightly.

Ignis tried to think of any signs that would have let him know that they were intrinsically linked. And then he remembered a week ago, something so small that he barely caught it. When he had burned his finger cooking, Raine had shook out her hand as if she’d just been singed.

Ignis’ mother had told him stories about being linked with one’s soulmate. _Everyone has a soulmate. Once you’ve found that person, the bond will start to form. It’ll manifest itself in different ways—shared tastes, shared pain, and eventually, shared souls. It depends on the pair, but sometimes it’s quick, and sometimes the bond takes its time to form. Don’t rush, Ignis._

He couldn’t help but snort. Rushing into anything with Raine was the last thing on Ignis’ mind.

He forced his legs to stop moving. Ignis rested one hand on his hip and the other on his chin while thinking about his next course of action. He was a strategist. He approached things logically, made lists, weighed options before settling on an appropriate response. Ignis closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, and considered the situation.

The group had gotten word that Lady Lunafreya was actually alive and well in Altissia. Noctis had decided to delay the trip because there were so many people in the area that needed his help—not to mention that they needed to find an alternative means of transportation.

It meant that Raine would be traveling with them for a while longer. He’d seen her hesitation when they asked her to go to Altissia. She didn’t outright refuse, but it was apparently to Ignis that she didn’t want to stray too far from Lucis. Something was tying her to the kingdom, but she hadn’t divulged what it was.

Ignis had overheard her speaking to Dave on the phone, mentioning something about heading further west towards Cleigne. Which was really just as well, because Gladio had received a phone call from his younger sister Iris about meeting her in Lestallum. At the very least, it was on the way.

He wondered what would happen if he were to tell Raine of this soulmate revelation. He played the scene in his head, and no matter how he tried to imagine it, or how he adjusted his words, it always ended up with her not accepting him.

Ignis’ mother had never told him what would happen if one was to be rejected by their soulmate.

Simultaneously, Ignis kept asking himself if he really wanted Raine to be tied to him forever. Perhaps it was because he didn’t know her very well, or maybe it was due to the fact that she appeared to have no interest in him. 

But Ignis kept repeating the words in his mind. _Raine is my soulmate._

And regardless of who the Astrals had matched him with, the thought of that sort of rejection felt like a dagger to the heart.

__________

Raine stretched out on a large, flat slab of rock by the edge of the river, bathing in the warmth of the sun. Her clothes were dry and folded, but she laid nude on her back, arms behind her head as if she didn’t have a care in the world.

Her hair, now dry, sprawled out around her in loose waves, framing her body like some sort of Venus. Raine loved the sun and didn’t get many moments of peace like this to herself. She soaked it all in—the quiet of the forest, the babbling of the current, the chirping of the birds in the trees.

It was so peaceful.

Naturally, it had to be interrupted.

Raine caught the sound of heavy footsteps on grass. Someone was approaching, but she didn’t bother opening her eyes or moving to cover her nudity.

“Hey,” Gladio’s voice boomed from a respectable distance.

“Good morning,” Raine called back, settling back in once she recognized that she wasn’t in any danger.

Gladio smirked, unable to stop himself from glancing over at the sight before him. “You gonna get dressed, or are you opening up an invitation?”

“Gladiolus Amicitia,” Raine drawled, a grin on her face and an unmistakable scold in her voice. “You should know better than to assume things about a lady sunbathing. Just because a woman is naked does not mean she wants sex. If I wanted to get fucked, I’d keep running errands for Dino. It’s a surefire way to get screwed over eventually.”

Gladio let out a booming laugh, shaking his head. “Alright, well,” he conceded, “Iggy made breakfast. So put on some clothes, Sleeping Beauty, and come eat.”

“Be right there,” Raine sighed and rolled over. She stood to her full height, stretching her arms up with her back facing Gladio. The Shield caught a glimpse of the back of her shoulder, his eyebrows flying high up on his forehead.

“Hey…” he mumbled. Raine started to slip on her clothes. She glanced at Gladio over her shoulder.

“What?”

He shook his head. “Nothin’.” He turned on his heel, walking back up the crest. “See you back at camp, okay?”

Raine gave a confused nod, but agreed.

The day wasn’t overly eventful—Noctis had agreed to help a woman named Sania find some red frogs for some research she was doing. Raine had found herself increasingly disinterested in puttering around a swamp in search for amphibians, so she told the guys that she was going to go for a quick hunt while they were away for a few hours.

“Do you really think it’s best to be venturing out on your own?” Ignis blurted out before he could stop himself. Raine regarded him curiously, her lips turned down in a frown.

“I’ve been on my own for a while, in case you hadn’t noticed,” she snapped. “What are you, my father?”

Ignis opened his mouth to speak, but then immediately clamped it back shut. Gladio watched the interaction with very curious eyes.

The hunt was easy enough. Just a few garulas, and Raine was able to slice up some steaks to bring back for the boys to cook for dinner. She made her way back to the Crow’s Nest and collected her bounty, before sliding into one of the booths in the back to sort her earnings.

She took half and slid it into her wallet, and then placed the other half in an envelope, scribbled down the mailing address, and sent it off.

Now that they were in Duscae, Lestallum wasn’t too far north. Raine smiled to herself—she hadn't been up there in far too long. Maybe she could slip away from the guys for a few days, just for a quick visit.

The guys had set up camp not far from the service station. Ignis had already started up the stove and was sorting through a cooler of ingredients when Raine walked over and handed him a bag of garula steaks.

Ignis blinked at her momentarily, and she was half-expecting him to say something rude. Instead, he said in a soft tone, “Thank you.”

Raine tried to keep the surprise off her face, but judging by Ignis’ half smile, she was failing. “Uh, you’re welcome.”

“Would you…” Ignis hesitated a moment before regaining his composure. “Would you like to help me prepare dinner for the others?”

Raine tilted her head at him, curious by this sudden change in attitude. “I’m not a very good cook. I'm a pretty decent baker, but cooking isn’t really my forte.”

“Oh,” Ignis tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice, turning back to the ingredients he was sorting. Raine suddenly felt really awful, like her stomach had just dropped. It was an overwhelming feeling of anxiety, one that she hadn’t experienced in a very long time.

She realized he was trying to make peace. Or at the very least, attempting to befriend her. Maybe one of the other guys had spoken to him about his attitude, or maybe over the past week he’d realized how flippantly he’d treated her. 

Either way, Raine could see in the clear green of his eyes that he was attempting to make an effort. And if he could, then so could she.

“Actually,” she piped up, and Ignis turned to look at her. She rolled the sleeves of her cardigan up to her elbows, the same way she did when she was about to fight a behemoth. “I’m a good student, if you’re willing to teach me.”

The tiniest, hopeful smile on Ignis’ face didn’t escape her notice.

“Alright,” he agreed, and made space for her at the prep table. 

The two chatted idly while chopping vegetables and measuring spices, and Raine realized that she was actually having fun. She let herself smile, genuinely smile, for the first time in what felt like ages.

From the other side of the campfire, Gladio peered over the top of his book, grinning to himself at the unlikely pair as he turned the page.


	7. Chapter 7

Raine sat between Gladio and Noctis in the backseat of the Regalia, her knee bouncing up and down. She was anxious, and it was obvious. She stared off into space, her brows just slightly furrowed, her lower lip worried between her teeth. Gladio waved a hand in front of her face until she was able to snap out of her trance.

“Hey, you in there?” he joked, though concern laced his voice. 

Raine faked a smile. “Yeah,” she replied, her tone unconvincing. “Just, uh…excited to get to Lestallum, I guess.”

Noctis couldn’t help but quietly snort from her left. “You don’t look excited. You look like you’re gonna puke.”

She elbowed him in the ribs. “Why can’t it be both?”

“Not in the Regalia, please,” Noctis pleaded, nudging her closer to Gladio’s side. “Throw up on him. Or Prompto. But just make sure it’s over to the right.”

Prompto protested from the front seat, but Raine just shook her head and laughed. A comfortable silence settled throughout the car, and Raine found herself enjoying being in the presence of her new friends. 

It was strange, at first, calling them her friends at all. But when she realized that she could barely remember what it was like to be truly alone without anyone to talk to, or to tease, she realized that life was starting to get better. And these four strangers had made that possible.

“Hey,” she spoke up, and all four pairs of eyes were on her. 

Ignis darted his vision from her face in the rearview mirror to the road, as if he was trying to decide what was more important. Ultimately, and for reasons she’d never blame him for, he concluded that not crashing the car and killing all its passengers was more important than looking her in the eye during this conversation.

“Is it…” Raine hesitated, trying to figure out what to say. “Is it okay with you guys if I take off for a bit when we get to Lestallum? I just have some stuff that I have to do.”

The guys exchanged looks, not even attempting to be subtle about it. It irritated Raine just slightly, as if they didn’t trust that she’d return.

“It should be alright,” Noctis finally said, glancing over at Gladio. “We have to meet up with Iris anyway.”

Gladio nodded in agreement. “Yeah. We’ll actually probably end up staying in Lestallum for a little bit anyway. It’s a pretty cool city, lots of stuff to do and see. Might be able to actually hit up a bar or something.”

Raine rolled her eyes with a smile. “I won’t be long. If I need anything, I can call one of you.”

“You should call Iggy if you need help with anything,” Gladio immediately offered, a look that Raine couldn’t quite pinpoint stretching across his face. “He’s the most reliable when it comes to answering his phone. Right Specs?”

Ignis bristled in the front seat. Raine felt like they were having some sort of secret conversation to which she was not privy. “I suppose,” he agreed.

“Okay,” Raine stated slowly. “So I’ll just call you when I’m done running my errand. Sound good?”

“I look forward to it,” Ignis replied, his eyes on the road. Raine couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or not.

Once the car pulled up into the parking lot just outside of the city’s main hub, Raine practically leapt over Noctis to get out of the Regalia. She waved goodbye to the guys with her bag over one shoulder, and sprinted off before any of them could ask her where exactly she was going to be.

Gladio got out of the car and came around the other side to elbow Ignis in the ribs.

 _“I look forward to it?”_ Gladio mimicked, his voice low enough so that Prompto and Noctis, who were busy taking photos of the area on their phones, couldn’t hear. “Smooth, Iggy. Are you trying to book her for a medical exam?”

Ignis sighed. “Leave it be, Gladio.”

The taller man frowned, his arms coming to rest on his waist. “When are you gonna tell her?”

The strategist hesitated, unable to come up with a plan. “I don’t know.”

Gladio patted his friend on the back of his left shoulder, right over where his soulmate marking was etched into his skin. “You’ve got until she comes back to figure it out.”

__________

Raine memorized the way to her destination, her feet carrying her up the steps before her mind was able to catch up. It was like muscle memory at that point, making her way past the marketplace and up a small hill to where some of the smaller semi-detached houses were tucked away.

She finally made it to the house with the white exterior and blue door. Raine took in a deep breath and let out a shaky exhale. Steeling herself, she raised her fist and knocked on the door three times.

Raine could hear shuffling from inside. After a moment, the door swung open to reveal a short elderly woman with silver hair tied in a coiled bun, her eyes widening at the sight before her.

Raine couldn’t help it. She smiled wide, and opened up her arms. “Hi, Grandma.”

__________

The interior of the house was just as Raine remembered. The old oak table in the dining room was still there, and she could still see the scratch marks on the floor from when her grandmother had impulsively decided to move her piano from one side of the house to the other. The smell was also the same—faintly of lilacs, Grandpa’s favourite flower when he was still alive.

The house always carried a distinct warmth that always comforted Raine. When she closed her eyes sometimes and needed to think of a safe space where the darkness could never find her, it was her grandmother’s house. She was raised there, in the safety of the walls that were an extension of her grandmother's love. Sometimes she could still hear Clara’s ringing laughter echoing down the halls. Those were the nights she didn’t want to wake up.

“How’ve you been, Raincloud?” Grandma asked, placing the cup of Ebony that her granddaughter had requested on a coaster in front of her before taking a seat. _Must be a new thing,_ the old woman thought. _She used to hate the stuff._

Raine took a sip from the mug, letting the heat pool through her entire body. “I’ve been alright. Have you been getting the gil I’ve been sending you?”

Grandma nodded as the kettle on the stove started to whistle. She went to get up, but Raine held out her hand, signalling for her to stop as she rose to her feet.

“Still take your tea with two sugars?”

Grandma nodded, and couldn’t help but add, “Just like how you used to, before you started drinking Ebony.” Raine chuckled as she prepared her grandmother’s tea, stirring it gently before handing it over and settling down again. “You never used to like drinking that coffee, you know? Your grandpa loved it, but when you were little, every time you took a sip you’d complain that it was too bitter.”

Raine shrugged, downing a large gulp. “Tastes change as you get older, maybe. Or it’s possible that my taste is just getting worse.”

Grandma laughed, her hands pressed against the porcelain of her mug. She pointed to Raine’s tattooed arm, where she’d exposed it from under the sleeve of her cardigan. “Has it really been that long since I’ve seen you? When did you get that?”

Raine scratched at the back of her head sheepishly. “I got it maybe a year an a half ago, maybe closer to two years, now?” She tried to recall. “I got it after…”

_After Clara._

Grandma sensed her discomfort and placed her warm palm over a section of the tattoo. “It’s lovely, sweetheart.”

Raine smiled sadly, her eyes tracing the black lines of ink that swirled along her skin.

“You didn’t cover up your soulmate marking though, did you?” Grandma asked cautiously, narrowing her eyes at her granddaughter. “You know that’s considered bad luck.”

“No,” Raine sighed. “I told the guy who did it not to. He framed it pretty nicely. Still no luck on that front though. I’m starting to think that whoever it is either doesn’t exist, or is probably dead.”

Grandma frowned. “That’s no way to look at life, my little Raincloud.”

Raine shrugged, wanting desperately to change the subject. “How have you been, though?” she asked. “Has it been enough, what I’ve been sending you?”

The elderly woman nodded. “Oh, yes, more than plenty,” she replied, that familiar sweet smile gracing her features. 

Raine always loved her grandma’s smile. It always reached up to her eyes, her brown eyes shone with a delicate radiance that she never felt that she had. Clara’s smile was the same way. Maybe it skipped a generation.

“It’s been quieter, now,” Grandma finally admitted. “You know, since Grandpa passed away.” She paused to take a sip of her now cooling tea, taking a second to stir up the sugar that had pooled at the bottom. “You should visit more, if you can. Just so I can know that you haven’t gone and killed yourself going after those awful monsters.”

Raine smiled, lifting her mug to her lips to drain the rest of the Ebony in her cup. “Only if you promise to share your secret cookie recipe.”

“Over my dead body,” Grandma teased, and Raine laughed. “But really, Raincloud. Visit more. I missed you for the past two years.”

Raine took hold of her grandmother’s hand. She gazed into those dark brown eyes, the ones that looked so much like hers, so much like Clara’s, and gave her fingers a slight squeeze.

“I promise.”


	8. Chapter 8

It was well into the evening when Raine finally called Ignis. It was late enough that Gladio insisted that they all go out for drinks. And so that was how Ignis found himself in the middle of a crowded bar, nursing a rapidly warming beer, watching as Raine and Gladio knocked back one shot after another. 

What they were drinking, he did not know, but the smell of it alone reminded him of the cleaning products that he used to keep under the sink in Noctis’ apartment.

Noctis was laughing at a story that Gladio was telling, and Prompto was taking tons of photos to document their first real night out in a long time. The five of them sat in a booth, with Raine squished between Prompto and Gladio, and Ignis on the opposite side seated next to Noctis.

He watched the scene unfold before him as Raine and Gladio clinked the small glasses again before wincing as the alcohol burned their throats on the way down.

That day, after Ignis had seen Raine bathing in the river, Gladio approached him as he was cleaning up the remnants of breakfast. He’d told Ignis how he saw the marking as well when he went to go find her, and that he recognized the same one on Ignis’ shoulder. Ignis swore him to secrecy, as he was still unsure of how he was going to approach the situation.

He made Gladio promise to also keep the flirting down to a minimum.

 _I know it’s in your bloodstream,_ Ignis stated. _But this is serious._

In reality, Ignis knew that Gladio would never encroach on something so important to him. This woman was chosen by the Astrals as his soulmate for a reason. Gladio had a soulmate marking of his own on his hip in the shape of a blazing sun, and he hadn’t found his partner yet. He knew that deep down, Gladio wanted the same thing that he did—domesticity, a family, a stable life. Gladio was just a little more liberal that he was when it came to casual flings. 

Ignis had always preferred conversation over physicality. Sex to him meant nothing without a mental connection first, which is why he’d never allowed anyone into his bed. He’d taken himself into his own hand at times—he was only a man, after all. But the idea of being with someone he barely knew, waking up from a night of passion to an empty bed, wasn’t something he ever entertained.

Gladio was different.

Ignis knew that once Gladio found his soulmate, everything would stop. But he also knew that when Gladio got some alcohol in him, he became a little more uninhibited, and his testosterone levels seemed to spike and attract women and men from every corner of whatever bar they’d happen to reside in for the evening.

And, much to his disgust, one of those women was Raine.

Raine could hold her liquor, that was for certain. But it made her much more loose, her jokes coming with more ease, and her smile became lazy as the alcohol dimmed her senses. She leaned on Gladio and laughed, her arm touching his bicep as he flexed out of habit.

Ignis could feel his temper flaring underneath his cool exterior. He couldn’t quite pin down who he was more upset with at the moment. Was it Gladio, for being his usual drunken self? Ignis was aware at the very least that Gladio would never sleep with Raine now that he knew the truth about her. He’d never betray Ignis in that way.

But Raine didn’t know. He’d overheard her saying to Prompto one night that she thought that maybe her soulmate was dead, so she didn’t really put much stock into looking for them. It hurt Ignis somewhere deep that she’d only have to look across the table.

The night they cooked together, Ignis realized that he actually enjoyed Raine’s company when she wasn’t mouthing off to him. She was a quick learner, too. Once he showed her the proper way to hold a knife, she quickly picked up on the correct way to dice vegetables. They laughed together, easy smiles traded back and forth. It felt like a secret they shared, a small moment reserved for just the two of them.

To see her smiling like that again, but at Gladio, made him furious.

It was when Raine went to lean her head against Gladio’s shoulder that Ignis rose to his feet.

“Can I speak to you?” he asked, his voice clipped and sharp. “Now?”

Raine glanced at Gladio with a questioning look, but Gladio’s eyes were trained on Ignis. His lips were pressed in a thin line, almost as if he was delivering a warning. But Ignis was staring right at Raine, not wanting to receive whatever message his friend had sent his way.

She rose to her feet and followed Ignis out of the crowded bar, a slight wobble in her step as she was met with the cool evening breeze.

Ignis was pacing when she caught up with him in the alleyway. His hands were on his hips, his gaze burning a hole in the ground.

“What’s going on?” Raine asked, though it came out a little harsher than she had intended. “What’s your problem?”

“My problem?” Ignis scoffed, rounding on her. “What exactly is going on between you and Gladio?”

Raine was taken aback. Her arms crossed over her chest and she glared at him with her mouth ajar. “First of all, what I do is none of your business,” she snapped, placing most of her weight on one leg while the other foot tapped against the pavement in blatant irritation. “Second of all, I wasn’t aware that I had to pass every step of my decision making by you when I’m trying to have a good time.”

“This isn’t about me trying to control you,” Ignis seethed, his voice raising slightly. “This is about your self-control.”

 _“My_ self-control?” Raine barked out a laugh. “Excuse me if I’m actually able to let loose once in a while. When was the last time you actually had fun? Or do you not even know what that is?”

Ignis shut his mouth, his fists clenched in his silver driving gloves.

“You don’t own me, Ignis,” Raine stated. “Stop acting like you do.”

Ignis squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, trying to weigh his options. In that moment, his emotions got the best of him. The words left his mouth before he could stop them. “We’re soulmates.”

He opened his eyes. Raine was staring at him, frozen in place. Her mouth was agape, her brows knitted with confusion.

“You’re lying.”

“I’m not.”

“Fuck you.”

Ignis shucked off his suit jacket and let it fall to the ground. He undid the buttons of his dress shirt and tugged it down enough so that she could see the meteor shaped mark on the back of his left shoulder. Raine took a step closer. It looked just like hers, except mirrored. She reached for it with trembling fingers, but suddenly withdrew, as if touching his skin would burn her.

“This is bullshit.”

“I assure you,” Ignis glared as he re-did his shirt buttons and picked his jacked up off the floor. “It’s not.”

“So what,” Raine finally said, raising her arms just to let them drop at her sides. “Are you expecting me to suddenly just be in love with you? For Eos to shift on its axis so I can just fall into your arms?” She shook her head. “Grow up, Ignis.”

“Do you think that this is what I imagined when I was told about my destined partner?” Ignis was shouting now, unable to keep his temper at bay. Raine was able to see the cracks in his perfect façade for the first time, the raw, unbridled anger bubbling to the surface. “Do you really think that I dreamed of finding my soulmate this way?”

Ignis tried to control himself. But it felt so good to be angry, to raise his voice for once.

“This wasn’t how it was supposed to be,” he practically snarled. “I was never meant to be paired up with someone of the likes of you.”

The instant he said the words, he knew it was wrong. They felt wrong as they left his tongue and floated into the air. He looked at Raine once he realized what he’d said, the red haze of fury starting to dissipate into the atmosphere.

Raine stood there, staring at him, her arms limp at her sides. The way she looked at him made him want to throw up. She was looking at him as if all the things she’d thought about him when they’d first met were true—that he thought he was too good for her, that she wasn’t someone worthy of his time or his respect.

He could have sworn that he saw tears forming in the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them away with a solemn defiance.

Raine shook her head ever so slightly, the quivering of her lower lip not escaping his notice. Her voice was so quiet that he almost didn’t hear her.

“Fuck you, Ignis.”

She turned on her heel and walked away.

Ignis stood alone in the alleyway, frozen in place. It was as if his shoes were full of lead, and he was unable to even flinch. Her final words to him echoed in his mind, and they felt like a thousand daggers piercing into his chest. 

He felt like he couldn’t breathe, like the brick walls on either side of him were starting to close in. His knees were weak, and he leaned a hand on the wall for support as he struggled to regain his balance. His eyes focused on a single spot on the ground as he forced air into his lungs, trying to tell himself that everything would be alright.

He imagined his mother’s face, her comforting voice, her hand rubbing the small of his back the way she would when he was a child and having an episode. 

_Breathe, Ignis,_ she’d say, and he’d listen. _Just breathe._

But when Ignis looked back up, he sank to his knees. 

It was Raine, leaving the bar with Gladio in tow.


	9. Chapter 9

Raine’s head was pounding. It took her a second to open her eyes, which she’d realized were completely swollen. Once she was finally able, she looked around the room. She was in a hotel, lying in a bed with crumpled sheets, the sound of the shower running wafting from the adjacent bathroom.

Raine’s eyes widened and she looked underneath the blankets. Her clothes were still on, including her jeans, and she cautiously sat up, trying to remember what had happened the night before.

Just as she was piecing her memories back together, Gladio emerged from the bathroom in only his leather pants and a towel casually swung around his shoulders. Before last night, Raine would have probably ogled him a little while longer as the condensation from the steam made his muscles glisten. But in that moment, she just felt sick.

“Mornin’, Sleeping Beauty,” Gladio greeted, rubbing at the back of his head with the towel. “You look like hell.”

“Hey,” Raine replied cautiously. “Last night, did we…?”

Gladio’s eyebrows flew up and he raised his hands. “Hell no. I slept on the couch.”

“Oh,” Raine nodded, her eyes darting away from his gaze. “Um…what happened after I got you from the bar?”

Gladio plopped down on the couch by the wall, leaning forward so that his elbows were resting against his knees. His face was stern, but his eyes were apologetic. 

“You dragged me out of the bar, and you were…I don’t know. You were crying and could barely walk, so I brought you back to the hotel and told the other guys to find somewhere else to crash for the night, figuring you’d want some privacy. Once I got you in here, you told me everything that happened between you and Ignis.”

He leaned back and sighed, running a hand through his damp hair. 

“It wasn’t supposed to end up like this.”

Raine felt herself clutch at the sheets subconsciously, wanting nothing more in that moment than to either cover herself completely and hide from the rest of the world, or claw her way out of her skin to become someone else. “You knew?”

“I saw the marking on your shoulder,” Gladio stated. “And I’ve known Ignis since we were kids. I’ve seen that meteor probably a thousand times.”

Raine felt her lower lip quiver and she pressed the heels of her palm against her eyes to stop the tears that had resurfaced from falling. “He thinks I’m scum, Gladio.”

Gladio immediately moved from the couch over to where she sat on the bed, bringing an arm around her shoulders. His touch felt brotherly, almost like Dave’s when he’d comforted her through her night terrors while on the road. He just held her while her shoulders shook and she trembled like a leaf under his palm.

“I just thought,” she sniffled, trying to steady her breath. “I thought we were making progress, you know? We were just finally talking. Not being assholes to each other, but just having actual conversations.” Raine let out a sad laugh. “I thought at the very least that we were becoming friends.”

Gladio felt his heart slowly starting to break. There she was, this strong, stubborn warrior woman, who’d made such a big show of proving her strength to him and the others when they’d first met, curled in on herself and looking so tiny as she cried against his shoulder.

When she spoke again, it barely came out as a whisper. “I have to leave.”

Gladio felt shock jolt through his body. He moved away from Raine to look her in the eyes. “What?”

“I want to go home,” she whimpered, no longer attempting to stop the tears from cascading down her face. “I just want to go home.”

__________

Gladio made Ignis promise to drive further west to Cleigne so that they could drop Raine off at Meldacio, the Hunter HQ. Ignis had protested, wanting to do nothing more than apologize for his words, but Gladio shook his head.

 _She needs time, Iggy,_ he’d said. _She’s really hurt right now. I don’t think it’s a good idea._

And so Ignis found himself behind the wheel of the Regalia, trying his hardest not to look at Raine’s face in the rearview mirror as he drove to deliver his soulmate to a life that was devoid of him. 

He’d spent the night wandering around Lestallum, trying to find any way to calm down his racing heart. He ended up finding a camper in the outskirts of the city and slept there once his eyes started to get weary, though he barely managed to get any rest with his mind racing and the look on Raine’s face plaguing his memories whenever he let the darkness take over.

Suddenly, the Regalia started to sputter. The car slowed to a halt, and Ignis took a second to rest his forehead against the steering wheel of the car.

“Noctis,” he asked calmly, remembering that he was not only addressing his friend, but also the new King of Lucis. “Did you remember to refill the gas?”

Noctis’ eyes went the size of saucers. “Shit.”

Raine couldn’t help but scoff in the back seat, though her eyes were glued to the ground. “Of course.”

They got out of the car and Noctis pulled out his phone to check his map. The nearest service station, he stated, was back at Lestallum. They were a little under halfway to Meldacio, so Raine decided it was time for her to leave.

She grabbed her bag out of the trunk and slung it over her shoulder before making her way down the side of the road. Ignis looked helpless, his gaze darting between her and Gladio as if he didn’t know what do to. Gladio ran after Raine, gripping her by the shoulder and turning her to face him. He couldn’t help but notice the small hint of disappointment that read across her face, as if she was expecting to see someone else.

“Don’t leave,” Gladio pleaded. “Ignis fucked up. I know that. And he knows that too—he probably called and texted me a hundred times last night begging for me not to do anything to you. He cares about you, he really does. Please, just stay with us.”

Raine let out a shaky breath, but shook her head. “Ignis only cares about me because of some fairy tale that his mother told him before she tucked him into bed,” she said, though she wasn’t sure if she actually believed her own words. “He doesn’t know how to love, Gladio. I’m not going to hold his hand and coach him through it. I’ve been through enough shit.”

“So you won’t even let him try?”

Raine bit her lip, unable to look him in the eye. “My heart broke once, the day that Clara died, and I’m still trying to pick up the pieces. I won’t let it happen a second time.”

She turned and started to walk away. Her boots felt heavy against the pavement, but it was only her footsteps that rang in her ears as she headed towards Meldacio. 

Once again, she was alone.

__________

Gladio returned to the others. His gaze caught Ignis’, and he just shook his head. 

Ignis looked down at the ground, trying to zero in on one spot again in order to prevent another episode.

_Breathe, Ignis. Just breathe._

“So…Raine’s not coming back with us to Lestallum?” Prompto asked, his voice laced with sadness. 

“No,” Gladio responded, his voice deep and quiet. “Not this time.”

The four of them started their trek back to the city in silence. Gladio could have sworn he heard Ignis sniffling from behind him, but he couldn’t be certain. They’d only been walking a few minutes when suddenly Prompto pointed up at the sky.

“Imperials above us!”

Ignis craned his neck up and saw a Magitek engine flying overhead. He made to summon for his weapon, but the giant airship flew clear over them. Instead, it went a little further north, back in the direction they’d left the Regalia. And then he realized—

_Raine._

Ignis didn’t realize he was sprinting until he saw the silver armour of the Magitek troopers glinting in the sunlight. Raine was there, caught in the middle of an ambush. Her braid flew wildly around her as she alternated between her daggers and her javelin, trying to take them out while simultaneously attempting to keep them a decent distance away from her.

“Raine!” Ignis roared, leaping headfirst into the fray. The others weren’t far off, and it wasn’t long before they found themselves in the middle of a full-blown battle. 

There had to have been at least fifty of them. Gladio swung his mighty great sword at a large cluster, slicing them in half as the mechanics of the androids fizzled and dimmed. Prompto latched onto the chest plate of one and shot it point blank until it was a crumpled heap on the pavement. Noctis was working on eliminating stragglers, warp striking them to keep them localized to a single area.

The numbers started to dwindle, but Ignis couldn’t shake the feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something was wrong. He couldn’t spot Raine in the chaos, his panicked eyes searching for just a glimpse of blue amidst all the carnage.

Then he heard a scream.

And then there was immense pain in his abdomen. He doubled forward, his hands pressed to the side of his torso. He looked down, but there was nothing there.

Then he turned.

There she was.

With the tip of a sharpened Magitek javelin emerging from a wound in her side, stabbed clear through from back to front. Blood gushed from the wound as a tear slipped down her cheek.

Ignis could have sworn in that instant the entire world went silent. All he could hear was her voice, quiet as it may have been, the fear unmistakable as she looked into his eyes.

“Ignis…”

And then there was nothing.


	10. Chapter 10

Ignis jolted awake, cold sweat dotting his brow. He was in an unfamiliar bed, he realized. He glanced around the room. There was no way it was a hospital—he’d become familiar with them throughout his childhood, and the sterility of those hallways always made Ignis uncomfortable.

Instead, he was in a bed that was just too small for the length of his legs. The walls were painted pink, and there were moogle plushies that lined a few shelves. They sat alongside some books that looked to be about the reading level of a young child, just older than a toddler. Ignis recognized a few from his own childhood, staples that his mother had purchased for him and read to him before tucking him in at night.

There were drawings pinned to the walls—some were scribbled in with crayon, some were filled in with broad strokes of paint. The colours were bright and gaudy, with fingerprint smudges throughout. But there was one drawing that was bigger than the rest that caught Ignis’ eye.

It was of two girls, one who was taller with a long, blue braid, and the other who was much smaller with dark hair past her shoulders, holding hands with smiles on their faces.

Ignis was in Clara’s room.

His jacket had been removed and draped over a chair, tucked into a small white desk. The black fabric looked out of place in the brightly coloured room, and Ignis rose to his feet, taking the jacket and slipping it back over his shoulders.

Just as he was adjusting the collar of his shirt, the door gently opened. An elderly woman stood before him, a delicate, almost rehearsed smile on her face.

“Hello dear,” she greeted, bowing her head to him slightly. Ignis did the same. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m quite alright,” he answered, confused. “Where…Is this Raine’s home?”

“Technically it’s mine,” the woman said, a hand on her jutted hip. “She and the little one just used to live here.” She looked around the room wistfully, as if she was beginning to get lost in thought. “I just didn’t have the heart to change it or move anything. Not after…”

Ignis could guess her next words.

Instead of continuing, she let out a sigh. “Your friends are quick thinkers. They contacted Dave after Raine was injured, and he called me right away. You’re lucky that you were so close to the city.”

“Where is she?” he asked, needing to know if she’d made it out of the battle alive. The woman sighed heavily, motioning for him to follow. Ignis trailed after her as she made her way down the hallway to another room. She paused in front of the door and turned to face him.

“I know who you are.” She placed a hand on Ignis’ left shoulder, giving it a squeeze. Ignis looked into the dark brown of this woman’s irises, saw the familiar glint that he’d seen in Raine’s. “I also know that you’ve been searching a long time. I can see it in your eyes. But my granddaughter, she’s…”

“Stubborn?” Ignis offered, earning a chuckle from the old woman.

“To say the least. She’s been through a great deal in her short life. Just don’t hold it against her.”

Ignis gave a small nod. “Thank you, Miss…?”

“Just call me Grandma,” the old woman shrugged with a wave of her hand. “That’s what everyone calls me these days, anyway.”

Ignis couldn’t help but smile. “Alright. Grandma, it is, then.”

Grandma patted his shoulder gingerly before moving past him to head back downstairs. Ignis could hear the idle chatter of his three friends from the first floor, relieved to know that they were alright. Raine’s grandmother started down the stairs, but then called up to him.

“I’ll make a cup of Ebony for you and bring it back up.”

Ignis quirked an eyebrow, confusion apparent across his face. “How did you know I drink Ebony?”

Grandma shot him a wink and a sly smile. “Raine just started drinking it one day. Strangest thing, isn’t it?”

Ignis felt his lips twitch up into a smile. “Indeed.”

She disappeared down the stairs, leaving Ignis alone in the hallway. He turned to the door and took in a deep inhale. He let it out slowly, and reached his hand for the doorknob. The brass was cold against his palm, and he slowly opened it, stepping into Raine’s childhood room.

The walls were dark teal, and relatively bare. Instead of plush toys along the shelves, there were just some books, an encyclopedia collection, and some framed photos. From where he stood in the doorway, Ignis could see snapshots of Raine with Clara, some where the young girl was perched on her hip, and some where they were sitting together as if posed in a photo studio. There was one of the two of them with their grandmother, smiling wide as if they didn’t have a care in the world.

But then Ignis saw Raine and his heart dropped to his stomach.

She was lying in the bed, her skin a sickly pale, dark circles forming under her eyes. She seemed to be asleep, her breathing even and shallow. A sheen of sweat coated her forehead, and her hands were limp at her sides.

There was a cushioned chair that was placed beside her bed, and Ignis took a seat. His eyes scanned her face, and it pained him to see her this way. She looked like she was barely clinging to life, as if any second she could just slip away and she’d be gone from his life forever before he’d ever gotten a chance to apologize.

He reached his hand out to touch hers. But just as his fingers hovered millimetres over hers, she flinched away. Ignis withdrew, the hurt seeping into his heart as his hands went back into his lap. He looked back up at Raine’s face to see what her eyes were slowly fluttering open.

Once she saw him sitting by her bedside, she turned her head in the opposite direction.

“Go away.”

“Raine,” Ignis’ voice was soft. He was afraid that if he spoke any louder than a whisper, she’d hear how much he was trembling, how scared he was that he’d nearly lost her. “Please allow me to apologize.”

She was quiet, so he continued.

“What I said was foolish and it was wrong. It was said in anger, and I did not mean it. I understand why you’d wish to reject me, regardless of whatever link the gods have created between us. But it is important for you to know that even though I haven’t been the best at showing it, I do care for you. And I am beyond relieved that you are safe.”

Raine turned back to him, wincing as she accidentally shifted and jostled her injury. “You’re a wordsmith, Ignis,” she finally replied, her voice hoarse from sleep. “How do I know you’re not just trying to win back my favour with pretty words and nothing behind them?”

Ignis looked down, studying his shoes. “I suppose you don’t,” he admitted, pushing his glasses further up his nose. “But…if you’d allow it, I’d like to start again. We never really got off on the right foot, and I admit my part in that fault. I was cruel to you, and I had no reason to be. I turned my nose up at you because I judged you prematurely. And I once I realized that you shared my marking, it was wrong of me to try and control you, to accuse you of being unfaithful in a relationship you didn’t know about and didn’t want.”

There was a pause.

“I never said I didn’t want it.”

Ignis’s gaze snapped up to meet hers. She looked at him, really looked at him for what felt like the first time. There was a delicate vulnerability in the sea foam green of his irises that shimmered in the dim light of the room behind his glasses. When Raine looked at him, she saw hope. She wondered what he saw when he looked at her.

Raine gave a sad smile. “I’m damaged goods, Ignis.” He knew that she wasn’t speaking of her physical injury, but the emotional scars that marred her heart. “I’m fucked up. I don’t know if I can be what you want me to be.”

Ignis shook his head. “It would be wrong of me to ask you to change,” he stated. “I’d just like the chance to get to know you, if you’d let me.”

He could see tears starting to well up in her eyes, and one slipped down her cheek, staining the pillow underneath her head. “I’m scared that once you figure me out, you won’t want me,” she said quietly. “No one ever does.”

The words struck Ignis, and he could feel how fast her heart was beating within his own ribcage. The fear that gripped her was crippling, and he could see it on her face. Her walls were crumbling around her bit by bit, and Ignis was so desperate to help, wanted nothing more than to reach out and take hold of her hand.

Instead he took off his gloves and placed his palm on the bed, just a breath away from hers. He wanted to take that first step, to show her that he wanted to share her burden. But he also knew that he couldn’t be the only one to step off the ledge and take that chance.

“You don’t have to carry that weight on your own,” Ignis promised. “Not anymore.”

Raine closed her eyes, and another tear escaped. But just as Ignis was sure she’d rejected him again, he saw her hand twitch. Her little finger moved ever so slightly until it brushed against his, so delicate that he could barely feel it. 

But as the corners of her lips turned ever so slightly in to the tiniest of smiles, in that moment, Ignis decided that for now, it was enough.


	11. Chapter 11

It took Raine about a week to get back on her feet again, and then another before she was able to leave the house. She’d taken up whittling during her bedrest, much to her grandmother’s chagrin. Ignis would come by in the mornings with some new decently sized sticks and Raine would whittle them down to small shapes and objects. The earlier ones were quite dismal, but they started to get more refined as she self-corrected.

When she asked for sandpaper, her grandmother confiscated the blade and hid it away.

 _No more sawdust on my sheets,_ she scolded. Raine would playfully stick her tongue out at her in return.

Ignis examined Raine’s latest creation in his gloved hands, turning it over in his palm. It seemed she was trying to master simple forms to start. The sphere was a little lopsided, and the sandpaper would have helped, but otherwise it was quite good.

Raine insisted that Ignis stay in the house with her and her grandmother as a gesture of good will, not wanting to have him pay for lodging during his unexpected extended stay in Lestallum. But the only remaining bed had been Clara’s, and when Ignis lied flat on the surface of the mattress, his feet would hang off the ends, making it impossible for him to sleep.

He stayed at the hotel near the marketplace instead. The others had gone to Caem with Iris and Talcott, telling Ignis that he should stay with Raine in the meantime while they figured out an alternative way to get to Altissia. 

Being near the marketplace meant that Ignis was able to procure all sorts of fresh ingredients in order to help Raine’s grandmother with preparing meals. He shared his culinary expertise with her, and showed her a few of the new recipes he’d concocted whilst on the road.

“Better be careful,” Raine teased one morning as the two of them nursed cups of Ebony over breakfast. “You keep that up, and she might just draw a meteor on her shoulder and steal you away from me.”

Ignis raised an eyebrow with a sly grin, taking a slow sip of his coffee. “Since when did you decide that I was yours?”

Raine blushed and smiled into her mug. “Shut up.”

The pair had settled into a comfortable routine. For the first little while, Raine was confined to her bed, but eventually, with Ignis’ help, she was able to get up and start walking around again without too much discomfort in her abdomen. 

The Magitek spear had thankfully missed her major organs, and the Phoenix Down that Noctis had administered when she collapsed had done a great deal to seal the wound. There was a scar now, but she’d been able to walk away with her life. It was a fair trade in her mind.

As Raine regained her mobility, she was able to help out a little more with the chores around the house. In the morning, Ignis would come by and Raine would have a cup of Ebony prepared for him. He’d help her with breakfast, including an extra plate for her grandmother, who liked to sleep in. Then they’d chat for a while, asking each other silly questions to try and get to know each other a little better.

“What’s your favourite colour?” 

Ignis laughed. “I wasn’t aware we were indulging in schoolchildren’s compatibility questions.”

“Answer the question, Scientia,” Raine teased, her finger jabbing against the surface of the dining room table. “Favourite colour.”

Ignis pondered for a moment, scratching at the bottom of his chin. “Purple, I suppose.” He looked at her expectantly.

Raine levelled a playful glare at him. She held up her braid before tossing it back over her shoulder. “Really?”

“My apologies,” he chuckled. “How daft of me not to realize.” He pointed to her tattooed arm, the Phoenix that trailed up to her shoulder. “Did it hurt?”

Raine shrugged. “Some parts. Over the elbow was pretty bad. But I did it in different stages, so it wasn’t all at once.”

Ignis felt that there was more to the tattoo than just fashion, but he decided not to pry. “I’ve always been curious about body art, if I’m being honest,” he admitted, pushing his glasses further up his nose. “I recall when Gladio decided to dedicate his entire back and both his arms to the work he has now.”

Raine nodded. “How was he at handling the pain?” she asked, taking a sip from her mug.

Ignis smirked. “He cried.”

Raine nearly spat her Ebony clear across the table. She slapped a hand over her mouth, her cheeks burning red. Ignis wordlessly handed her a napkin, the amusement twinkling in his eyes, no matter how stoic he tried to keep his features.

“I’m so sorry, that was disgusting,” Raine apologized hurriedly, cleaning off the table and wiping the remaining Ebony off her chin.

“It’s quite alright,” Ignis replied, resting his elbows on the table to prop his chin up on his hands. “I prefer you like this.”

Raine narrowed her eyes at him. “A human disaster?”

Ignis shook his head. “Happy.”

Raine felt the blush creeping back onto her cheeks once more, so she hid her face behind her mug. “Tell me more about crying Gladio.”

“Well, he wasn’t sobbing, but I did see a tear or two when the needle hit his lower back.” Ignis recalled, tapping his ungloved finger against his chin. Now that he was no longer driving the Regalia, as it was back in Noctis’ possession for the time being, he didn’t feel the need to wear them on a regular basis anymore. 

Raine would never admit it out loud, but she liked Ignis’ hands. They were strong, but also deft, the hands of a man who’d worked in servitude his entire life. After having many long conversations with him during her healing period, she realized she’d underestimated him. 

Though Ignis was born into noble blood, and was groomed to be Noctis’ Royal Advisor, he’d had to work to maintain his position. He told her of all the chores he had to do as the Prince’s chamberlain, including cooking, as well as the many hours of chauffeuring, and the training he’d also have to maintain to keep his physique. Raine wasn’t certain there were enough hours in a day for even a fraction of those tasks to be accomplished.

She found herself growing a sense of respect for him. She’d always known how much he’d helped the others with things like that—she’d observed as much while camping with them. But she never realized how much of his childhood he’d missed out on because of his duty to the Crown.

Raine sighed. “And here I was, hoping he was bawling his eyes out like a little baby.”

Ignis took his empty mug, along with hers, and rinsed them out in the sink. “Please don’t divulge to Gladio that I shared that secret with you. It was a very delicate situation and he doesn’t like to bring it up.”

Raine pressed her index finger and thumb together and ran them along her lips. Ignis bowed his head in appreciation, and they sat in comfortable silence until Raine’s grandmother joined them for breakfast.

__________

Later on that evening, Raine was getting restless. She loved her grandmother’s house, there was no question about that. But being cooped up inside, especially due to an injury, made her feel like she was being trapped. She wanted to run, wanted to hunt, wanted to make herself useful aside from washing dishes and vacuuming the floor.

“Why don’t we go for a walk?” Ignis suggested after dinner, as Raine stole the empty plates from his hands so that she could help clean since he was the one who had cooked.

Raine looked over at her grandmother with large puppy dog eyes. “Can I, Grandma? Please?”

Grandma rolled her eyes and shooed them away. “Even if I said no, you’d find a way to sneak out anyway. I learned that ten years ago. Go on, enjoy the fresh air.”

Raine kissed her grandmother on the cheek, retrieved her cardigan and followed Ignis out the door.

Lestallum at night was never dull. Many of the women who worked in the power plant were off shift, so the streets were lined with workers relaxing after a hard day. It was nice, but sometimes, the crowds made Ignis anxious. Raine could sense his discomfort while he jostled around some drunken strangers, trying to guard her from aggravating her injury.

“Hey,” she said, tugging on his sleeve. “Want to go somewhere more quiet?”

Ignis nodded and she led him away from the chaos.

Behind the hotel where he was staying, there was a ladder about eight feet above street level that led to the roof. Raine peered up at it, and then gauged her surroundings. She found some crates that were discarded from the marketplace after the trucks had delivered their produce, and she stacked a few to give her a boost.

Raine tested its sturdiness before hopping on top.

“Are you sure this is quite safe?” Ignis asked, unable to mask his concern.

Raine looked over his shoulder and shrugged. “Live a little, Iggy.” She then leapt up and grabbed hold of the ladder’s rungs and pulled herself up until she could comfortably start to climb. Ignis watched as she disappeared onto the roof, and then sighed, though a smile spread across his face. He stood on top of the crates and followed her path up to the top of the building.

Raine was sitting on the edge of the roof, her feet dangling off the ledge, looking out at the Disc of Cauthess. Ignis came to sit beside her, careful not to sit too close. They’d been making progress over the past two weeks, but he didn’t want to rush her. Or himself.

The view was breathtaking. It wasn’t as clear as the view from the outlook, but it was still quite beautiful. The city’s lights shone beneath them, but it wasn't enough to quell the starlight beaming down from above. It was like looking into two worlds, with the two of them sitting at the dividing line.

Ignis had been so distracted by the view that he hadn’t noticed that Raine had moved just a little bit closer. His hand was on the ledge beside him, and she’d placed hers down next to his, though they did not touch.

Raine’s eyes looked distant as she stared off into the night. Ignis turned to her. “Are you alright?”

It took her a second to respond. He could see conflict clear as day on her face, but finally, she said, “I want to tell you about Clara.”

Ignis was silent. He knew that whatever had happened to Clara had been a traumatic moment in her life—he didn’t want to push her too far, or say something that would trigger her in any way. So he sat there, looking at her as she looked off into the distance, as if a movie reel of her life was playing right before her eyes.

“We were on vacation. She was five, and I was twenty. It was just the two of us, and Grandma was still here, in Lestallum. She was pretty tall for a five year old, and so she wouldn’t let me carry her around anymore. She said she wasn’t a baby, so I wasn’t allowed to treat her like one.”

Ignis saw her smile, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. But soon her expression turned dark, and her brows started to furrow as she recalled her next memory.

“We were in a small town in Leide, not too far from the Insomnian border. It was cottage country, you know? Just farmers and friendly townspeople who let her pet chocobos and be a kid. But then…the Empire…”

A chill ran through Raine’s body. She swallowed past the dryness in her throat and carried on.

“Everyone was screaming. Houses were set on fire, shop windows were smashed. The Magitek troopers came in and destroyed everything. People were running for their lives, and I watched as people around me started to drop. There was so much blood…”

Raine’s hand subconsciously moved over Ignis’, and his thumb gently caressed her fingers.

“Clara wouldn’t fucking let me carry her. We were running, and all I could hear was gunfire. Her hand was holding onto mine one second, and the next…”

“You don’t have to,” Ignis said quietly. “I understand.”

Raine must have noticed that her hand was clutching onto Ignis’, so she muttered an apology and let him go, hastily wiping her eyes with the sleeves of her cardigan. Ignis instantly missed her warmth, but folded his hands back into his lap. 

“I got the Phoenix tattoo for her,” she said, holding her arm out to examine the feathers. “And that’s why it goes around that marking on my shoulder. I figured I would never find my soulmate, because I already lost Clara.”

Ignis gave a quiet nod, his turn to stare off into the evening sky. He was brought back to reality by Raine’s elbow nudging his arm.

“Thank you,” she said, swinging her legs idly over the side of the building. “For being here. I really appreciate it.”

Ignis nodded in return. “Of course.”

It was starting to get late, so the pair decided it was time for Raine to head back. They shimmied down the ladder and Ignis offered to walk her back to her Grandma’s house.

A comfortable silence had settled between them, and Raine seemed a little lighter. She bumped into Ignis a few times as they walked, and he peered down at her curiously, though she kept her eyes focused ahead. The third time she bumped into him, she slipped her hand against his and intertwined their fingers.

Ignis looked down at their joined hands, and then up to her face. She gave his hand a light squeeze and leaned into him ever so slightly. He blushed and looked forward, catching the small smile on her face from his peripheral vision.


	12. Chapter 12

When Ignis arrived at the house the next morning, he was surprised to see a number of measuring cups and spoons laid out on the kitchen counter. The kitchen was empty, but if he strained his ears, he could hear shuffling coming from within the walk-in pantry.

Raine emerged balancing a stack of ingredients in her hands, her tongue poking out of her mouth as she precariously made her way over to drop everything off. She nearly stumbled, but Ignis hurried over just in time to collect a bag of flour and the shortening from her hands before they slipped from her grasp.

“Oh, good morning,” she greeted, exhaling heavily so that the stray hairs that escaped her braid moved out of her face. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“It’s fortuitous that I arrived when I did,” Ignis remarked, helping her organize everything on the counter’s surface. “Are you planning on baking this morning?”

Raine shrugged casually, moving to prepare the Ebony that she’d forgotten in the midst of her journey through the pantry. “I thought that maybe we could bake together today. You let me cook with you that one time at camp, so I figured this would be fun. Not to mention the fact that I can actually bake, so it’ll go a lot smoother than your cooking lesson did.”

Ignis recalled the memory. It had almost been a sort of test, perhaps more for himself than her. He’d wanted to see if there was a chance that Raine was also as domestic as he was—maybe if she’d enjoyed it as much as him, there was a chance he’d be able to salvage the fantasy he’d created of a doting wife and soulmate.

But Raine wasn’t one to conform to his rigid ideals of a home. She forced him to bend and adapt, and in turn, she allowed her guard to falter. He came to enjoy the quiet moments they shared together in the early mornings over coffee, where Raine was so much more relaxed and open. She allowed herself to smile, and Ignis couldn’t help but remark to himself that the sight was quite beautiful.

Maybe he could even see himself falling in love with her.

However, even though Raine had told him about Clara the night before, he couldn’t quell the nagging feeling that something was still bothering her—as if there was a piece to the puzzle that she was keeping close to her chest.

Ignis realized, like with everything with this woman, that it would take time. But thankfully, Ignis was a patient man.

“What will we be making?” Ignis asked, removing his suit jacket and hanging it in the foyer before rolling his sleeves up to his elbows. The way Raine’s gaze lingered on the exposed skin of his forearms did not escape his notice, but he suppressed a smirk for her own sake.

“My grandma makes these amazing chocolate chip cookies,” Raine explained, handing Ignis an apron as she her own around her waist. “But she won’t give me the recipe. She’s getting stubborn in her old age.” She tapped her finger on her chin in jest. “I wonder where I got it from.”

“Was your mother the same way?” Ignis couldn’t help but ask. 

He wasn’t expecting to be met with the awkward silence that followed as Raine played with the end of her braid.

“I apologize,” Ignis said, full of sincerity. “It was wrong of me—”

“It wasn’t,” Raine interjected, placing her hand on his forearm and giving it a gentle squeeze. “It’s alright. It’s just…” she trailed off, her eyes distant before snapping out of it. “A story for another day.”

Ignis nodded as she went to preheat the oven.

They chatted back and forth as they measured out ingredients. Raine explained that the chocolate chip cookies were a staple in her childhood. Whenever she was sad or upset, or if she’d done poorly on a test in school, her grandmother would bake those cookies with so much love that it made everything feel alright again. At least for a little while.

They’d made the dough and were each gathering small clumps, rolling them between their palms to make small spheres. They’d made probably too much, judging by the fact that Raine had to retrieve another baking sheet, but Ignis just enjoyed how simple everything felt in that moment. It was just the two of them in the kitchen working towards the same goal.

Even if that goal was just attempting to recreate Grandma’s secret recipe.

“I could never get it quite right,” Raine sighed, sliding the trays into the oven and setting the timer. “I don’t even really know how this batch is going to turn out. You can taste test, and then maybe Grandma can make her own and we can compare.”

Ignis looked around. “Where is she, by the way?”

Raine handed him a cup of Ebony and they moved to sit at the dining room table in their usual spots. “Upstairs sleeping still. She’s been getting a lot more tired lately. I think it’s just that she’s getting older.”

Ignis nodded, taking his first few sips. “You know, I had a similar experience,” he remarked. “The Prince came here one day on vacation with his family. He was still a child, probably no older than seven or eight. He had some sort of pastry while he was here, and he came back raving about how it was the most delicious thing he’d ever tried.”

Raine tilted her head. Lestallum wasn’t known for their pastries, not really, so she had a hard time thinking of what Noctis could have possibly been talking about.

“I tried to recreate it for him on several occasions, but to no avail. No matter what recipe I used, no matter how many adjustments I made, it just wasn’t the same.”

Raine couldn’t help but smile a little bit. “You really care about him, don’t you?”

Ignis drummed his fingers along the side of his mug. “Noctis is like a brother to me. I’ve known him almost my entire life. It’s also my sworn duty to the Crown as his advisor. Admittedly though, this is the longest I’ve been away from him since he was quite young.”

Raine looked into her mug, closed her eyes briefly as the aroma of the Ebony filled her lungs. It was a smell she was starting to associate with Ignis, and she found it comforting.

“Why did you let me join you on the road?”

Ignis gazed up at her, her eyes set in a determined fashion that told Ignis that she wasn’t about to change the subject.

“Personally, I advised against it,” Ignis admitted, though that response was unsurprising. “It had been Prompto’s idea. He’s always been the type to help people in need. Once, we allowed him to drive the Regalia and he stopped at the side of the road to help a small dog with a thorn in its paw. Nearly killed the lot of us.”

Raine chuckled, shaking her head. “I don’t imagine Prompto has that much sway with all four of you, though. You were all so nice to me, even though I was such a bitch.”

“Well,” Ignis thought aloud. “I don’t know if he’d ever admit it, but I’d wager that you remind Gladio a little bit of his father.”

Raine’s eyebrows flew up to her hairline. “Clarus Amicitia? Really?”

“Clarus, ever since I’d known him, had always been a very stern, very strict man. Stubborn to a fault, and always needed to have everything be just to his liking. Many people were intimidated by him, which served him well as Shield to the King. But in private, all that went away. He was a kind father, and a devoted husband,” Ignis explained. “The two of you have more in common than you might realize.”

Ignis reached over and took hold of Raine’s hand. 

“I’m glad we were able to start again,” he said quietly, his thumb grazing over her fingers, his eyes never straying from hers. “Thank you for giving me that chance.”

Raine shook her head, smiling. “I should be the one thanking you, shouldn’t I?” she jokingly retorted. “You came to my rescue when I was being ambushed by MTs. You nursed me back to health after my injury. And you’re still here when you should be with your friends trying to figure out a way to get to Altissia.” She let out a sigh, dropping her gaze, a blush dusting her cheeks. “You’re a good man, Ignis. I’m lucky to be tied to you.”

Ignis was about to respond when the floor boards creaked not too far away. Raine’s grandmother, still in her house coat and pajamas, shuffled into the room holding a kerchief in her hand.

“Good morning, lovebirds,” she joked, coming over to pat Raine on the back. “Didn’t interrupt anything, did I?”

Raine laughed and shook her head, removing her hand from Ignis’ grasp. “No, Grandma. Just waiting on the cookies to finish baking.”

As if on cue, the oven timer went off. Raine rose to her feet.

“Iggy, want to come and help me while I get Grandma some tea?”

“Certainly,” Ignis nodded, getting up to join her in the kitchen.

Raine’s grandmother watched on with a smile, the corners of her eyes creasing ever so slightly. She’d been waiting for the day that Raine was able to find happiness again, not just in a person, but in _anything._

Grandma raised the kerchief to her mouth and coughed, her throat burning as she regained her breath. She lifted the cloth away to see that it was dotted with blood. 

Sighing to herself, she folded the stained fabric away and hid it in her pocket. She forced the smile back onto her face as Raine returned with tea, joined by Ignis and a batch of fresh chocolate chip cookies.


	13. Chapter 13

“Are you certain you’re up for this?” Ignis asked as he and Raine made their way through some tall grass, crouching down to remain hidden from view.

“For the hundredth time, Ignis, yes,” Raine groaned, though she shot a smirk his way. “Besides, I was going crazy being cooped up in that house for so long. I’m sure Grandma will appreciate the peace and quiet.”

Ignis shrugged, and then spotted the Arba that was listed on their bounty. It was tall, probably over thirteen feet, grazing on its own in an open field. Ignis and Raine both summoned their daggers.

“So, strategist,” Raine quipped, rolling back her shoulders in anticipation. “Any suggestions?”

“Are you asking because you’re interested in actual battle tactics, or are you merely attempting to entertain me?”

Raine shot him a wink. “Can’t it be both?”

Ignis chuckled with a shake of his head. “Try to aim for the creature’s blind side. That way, we’ll be able to catch it off guard. Shouldn’t be too much of a hassle.”

The two of them snuck around the giant looming creature, and once they were sure it couldn’t sense them in the area, they attacked.

Ignis couldn’t help but notice Raine’s fighting style. It was different than his, less refined due to lack of formal training, but she was efficient. Her lean, athletic body was quick and agile, and she move through the tall animal’s legs, slashing away with her daggers as the beast roared and fell to its knees.

It didn’t take long for the two of them to eliminate their target. The Arba fell with a mighty boom, and Raine stowed her weapons away, wiping the sweat from off her forehead.

“That went well.”

Ignis did the same, taking off his glasses to wipe them off with a cleaning cloth from his pocket. “It’s almost as if you hadn’t sustained an injury at all,” he commented. “It’s remarkable how quickly you were able to heal, considering the severity of your stab wound.”

Raine made her way over to Ignis, stopping short by just a couple of feet. “When your short-term life goal is ‘just don’t die’, you find ways to stay alive.”

Ignis hesitated, but had to ask. “And what would be your long-term goal?”

Raine opened her mouth to answer when her phone started to ring. She held a finger up to pause their conversation and lifted it to her ear. “Hello?”

 _“Hi, is this Raine Licentia?”_ A man on the other line asked, whose voice sounded unfamiliar.

“Speaking.”

_“This is Doctor Masika, calling from Lestallum General Hospital.”_

Raine felt her blood run cold.

_“It’s in regards to your grandmother. You might want to get here as soon as possible.”_

__________

Raine couldn’t feel her legs anymore. Her feet slapped against the ground as she ran. The sun was starting to dip below the horizon, setting the sky on fire. The only thing she could hear was her own muffled heartbeat in her ears, the sound of her lungs wheezing as she sprinted as quickly as she could towards the hospital.

After Raine had ended the call, she didn’t tell Ignis what was going on. She just ran, and he followed. Ignis could feel the terror welling inside of her, felt the bone-splitting anxiety as it crawled under his skin. 

When she threw open the doors of the hospital, Ignis feared the worst.

Raine was panting, doubled over with her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. Once she was certain she could speak, she went to the receptionist’s desk and asked for her grandmother’s room. A nurse directed her to the room at the end of the hall, and she burst inside, her eyes wide and rimmed with tears.

Her grandmother was in the hospital bed, her eyes closed, the heartbeat monitor beeping ever so slowly. There was a tube in her nostrils and a needle in her arm, hooking her up to an IV that dripped some sort of medicine or pain killer into her blood stream.

Raine immediately went to her grandmother’s side as Ignis stood helplessly by the doorway.

She held onto her hand, and faintly felt Grandma’s fingers squeeze her back. Her eyes slowly blinked open, and she turned to Raine with a barely-there smile.

“Hi, sweetie.”

“Grandma,” Raine choked out. “What’s happening? What’s going on?”

Grandma turned her head the other way and coughed, her monitor spiking for just a second. “I didn’t want for you to have to see me like this.”

Raine shifted in her seat, leaning a little closer to her grandmother as she felt tears sliding down her cheeks. “What happened?”

Grandma let out a sigh, closing her eyes for just a moment. “I’m sick, Raincloud,” she said, her voice hoarse. “I’ve been sick for about a year, now.”

Raine felt her heart stop. “You were sick for so long and you didn’t tell me?” She tried to keep the anger and hurt out of her voice, but she knew that she was failing miserably. A nurse passed by the room and Ignis went to speak to her, leaving the two of them alone.

Grandma smiled. “I knew if I told you, you’d drop everything and come back to me. And I didn’t want to burden you with any more sadness. Not after everything you’ve already had to endure.”

“But I could have helped you,” Raine insisted. “At least I could have been here, I could have done _something.”_

“Raincloud, I don’t know if you haven’t noticed, but I’m old,” Grandma shrugged, that same lazy smile on her face, as if she wasn’t bothered at all. “It’s just my time.”

Raine sniffled. “What if I’m not ready to let you go?”

She let another tear slip, and Grandma lifted her hand to wipe it away. “No one is ever ready, sweetheart,” she responded, resting her hand against her granddaughter’s cheek. “I wasn’t ready to let go of your mother, either. But life is wasted dwelling on the dead. Besides,” Grandma nodded her head in Ignis’ direction, who was still outside speaking to who she presumed was Doctor Masika in a hushed voice. “You have someone worth living for again.”

__________

Ignis stood in the hallway, speaking to the doctor that had called Raine on the phone.

“She has inoperable lung cancer,” he explained, going over the details of her chart. “She was diagnosed over a year ago, but refused treatment.”

Ignis’ hand went to his chin. “Would there have even been anything you could have done at that point if it was inoperable?”

Doctor Masika shook his head. “We tried to prescribe her some pills to keep her more comfortable, but she said she wasn’t interested. It was already fairly advanced last year when we had given her the original diagnosis. It’s surprising that she’s managed to live for this long.”

Ignis sighed, his arms crossed over his chest. “How did she wind up here then, may I ask?”

“She called us, actually,” Doctor Masika replied. “Told us that this morning she was coughing up blood and started to feel faint. So we sent a few people to bring her here, and she’s been steadily declining ever since.”

Ignis turned back to look at Raine and her grandmother. The elderly woman had scooted over in the bed and Raine had removed her shoes, slipping under the covers to curl up next to her. Her eyes were red, but she’d stopped crying. He turned back to the doctor to give his thanks before re-entering the room.

Grandma beamed at him. “Hello, handsome.”

Raine glared up at her. _“Grandma.”_

Ignis tried to smile, but it just fell short. “Good evening. Though I’m afraid perhaps that may be a poor choice of words, given the circumstances.” He sat in the chair that Raine had previously occupied, crossing his legs and placing his hands on his knees.

A heavy silence settled between the three of them. Ignis never liked hospitals—the quiet beeping of the monitor, the sound of sick patients in the lobby, the wheels of the gurneys squeaking in the hallway. All of it made him uneasy, and brought him right back to his childhood.

 _It’ll be okay, Ignis,_ his mother had said. _It’s going to be alright._

“Ignis?”

Raine’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

“I was just saying that you don’t have to stay,” she said, her voice quiet and strained. She could feel his discomfort as her bones started to feel heavy, and she could see it in his body language. “I don’t want to have to put you through all of this.”

Ignis shook his head, moving to tuck a strand of blue hair behind her ear. “I’ll stay.”

The night felt like it dragged on forever. Ignis had closed his eyes and dozed off sitting upright in the chair, his chest rising and falling in even breaths. Raine clutched onto her grandmother’s arm, her forehead leaned against hers, and she eventually fell asleep.

By the morning, Raine’s grandmother was gone.


	14. Chapter 14

Going back to the house felt strange. It still smelled the same—the aroma of the cookies Raine and Ignis had made the morning before still lingered in the air, the mugs from the Ebony and the tea were still left rinsed out in the sink. 

Everything was just as it was. But everything was different.

Raine’s grandmother had a sort of exuberance that made the house come alive. It was a joy that bounced off every surface, a warmth that seeped into the floorboards and through her old piano. If she closed her eyes, she could almost hear the echo of her grandmother’s laugh floating through the rooms.

But when she opened her eyes, it was just a house. Just walls with photographs of past memories, scuffed floors and dirty dishes.

Raine moved wordlessly through the house, Ignis following close behind. She hadn’t said much after they took her grandmother away. She didn’t want to think about planning the funeral yet. Ignis could tell that she was having some trouble processing the entire thing. It had all happened so suddenly, like the entire world had dimmed in grief.

Raine went to the piano in the living room and sat down on the bench. She lifted the cover and skimmed her finger over the ivory keys. Ignis sat beside her to her right and watched as she hesitated to press down on the ivory.

“Did your grandmother play to you often?”

Raine shook her head, the ghost of a smile crossing her features. “My grandpa was the one who bought the piano. She’d talked about wanting to learn how to play for the longest time, and he did everything he could to make her happy.” 

Raine laughed, as if she remembered the day like it had just happened.

“So when he bought it, she got really excited and learned maybe five songs. But then she realized that she wasn’t very good at playing anything else, and she didn’t know how to write songs. So she’d just play those five over and over. It drove all of us crazy.”

Her hand dropped back into her lap and she sniffled slightly, trying to steady her breath. Ignis lifted his own and played a small, quiet tune on the higher octaves, his fingers dancing over the keys as Raine watched.

She smiled. “That’s beautiful.”

Ignis blushed, and continued to play. “My mother taught me.”

Raine looked over at him, unable to help her curiosity. “You talk about her a lot.”

Ignis gave a stiff nod.

“Are you two close?”

Ignis cleared his throat. “We were,” he replied. “She passed away some time ago.”

Raine’s mouth opened slightly in shock, and she retreated a little bit. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, biting her lip. “I had no idea.”

“It’s alright,” Ignis replied, taking her hand in his and lacing their fingers together. “She taught me everything I know. I was an only child, and my parents divorced when I was quite young. My father was part of the Lucian High Court and was largely absent for my formative years, so my mother took it upon herself to raise me properly.”

Ignis pushed his glasses a little higher up on his nose before pulling his wallet out of his pocket to show Raine a photograph that he carried with him always. 

It was of a woman with ginger red hair past her shoulders, clear sea foam green eyes, and a dazzling smile that lit up her whole face. She looked like Ignis, except with more delicate features and a rounder jawline. A younger Ignis was beside her, his hair falling over his forehead and into his eyes smiling wide as his mother hugged him close.

“She taught me how to play piano and how to cook. She was proficient in many things, and was always my most adamant supporter when it was decided that I would become Noctis’ advisor.”

Raine examined the photo, a sad realization dawning over her. “She looks so young.”

Ignis nodded. “She fell ill one day. The doctors weren’t sure what it was. An infection of some sort. I was twelve when it happened. She was in and out of the hospital so frequently, since they had to take numerous tests in an attempt to give her a proper diagnosis.”

He sighed, trying to get his next words out. 

“Whatever the infection was, it ended up requiring surgery. I was so afraid for her, because her health had declined so rapidly, and she just looked so fragile. I remember her trying to comfort me as I cried at her bedside. I remember having to sit with the nurses while I waited for the doctors to finish her operation…but she never woke up.”

Raine was at a loss for words. She felt the tears trickling down her cheeks before she realized she was actually crying. She moved closer to Ignis, resting her head on his shoulder.

“I’m so sorry.”

Ignis shook his head. “Don’t be. It was nearly ten years ago.”

Raine was about to protest, but Ignis lifted his free hand to the piano again and started to play. It was a quiet, melancholy song, but as it drifted through the house, the walls seemed to vibrate along to the sound of the music.

__________

Some time later, after Ignis had prepared a small dinner, Raine went up to her grandmother’s room to sort through some things. Ignis could sense that she wanted privacy, so he remained downstairs and busied himself with cleaning.

She moved around quietly, taking the time to look at the framed photos that she’d kept on her bedside table. There was one with her, Raine and Clara, the same one in her room as well. There was another her and her grandfather together on their wedding day, love bursting from their eyes as they beamed at each other during their first dance.

There were individual photos of Raine, as well as individual ones of Clara from when she was a baby. There was also one of Raine’s mother, and it always shocked her at how much they looked alike.

Raine’s mother had long hair that fell in waves, just like hers. It was naturally a dark brown, just like her eyes. But the difference between her and her mother was that she had an air of old world beauty about her that Raine had always envied. Where Raine was more angular and rough around the edges, her mother was soft, an ease to her smile that Raine wished she’d inherited.

Raine went to her grandmother’s vanity, remembering all the times that Clara had demanded that they play dress up with her jewelry. She’d take strings of pearls and big, chunky bracelets and put them all on, running through the house like she was royalty.

Raine smiled to herself at the memory, but stopped short as something caught her eye.

It was an envelope with her name on it in her grandmother’s writing.

She picked it up with trembling fingers, moving to sit on the edge of the bed as she took out two sheets of paper. She started to read, her eyes slowly glazing over as she scanned over every word.

_My dearest Raincloud,_

_If you’re reading this, then I have sadly moved on to the next life. I know it may be hard for you to accept or understand right now, and I’m sorry I never told you about my illness._

_I didn’t want to tell you because after what happened with Clara, I knew you needed time to work things out on your own. Your life has been so steeped in tragedy, ever since you were a baby. And I know that right now it seems like everything is working against you and your happiness, but I urge you not to think that way._

_You have been in mourning for so long that I wonder sometimes if you know what it feels like to not experience grief. So instead of being sad that I am gone, I want you to celebrate the life that you have, the future that is stretched out before you._

_I’m so glad that you were able to find Ignis. He’s a good man, and he will treat you right if you let him. I know that you’ve had your heart broken before, so many times, but the connection between soulmates is one that you’ll never be able to sever once it’s formed. I know you don’t like to believe in magic, but maybe believe in miracles. And that young man is your miracle._

_I love you. I will be with you always. Smile and laugh for me, because life is too short to dwell on the past._

_I’ll take good care of Clara until we meet again._

_Love, Grandma._

_PS. I expect you to guard this with your life. If the Nifs were to get a hold of it, who knows what chaos could ensue._

Raine stared at the last bit of the letter, her face scrunched in confusion. Then she looked at the second page and couldn’t help but laugh, hastily wiping the tears from her eyes.

It was her grandmother’s secret cookie recipe.


	15. Chapter 15

Ignis came upstairs in time to catch Raine packing her bag. He stood at the doorway of her bedroom, unable to mask the hurt that etched across his features. She hadn’t heard the groan of the staircase beneath his weight, nor did she hear the creaking of the floorboards as he walked over to her.

When his hand touched her shoulder, she jumped.

“Fuck,” Raine swore, her hand going over her heart to stop it from racing. “I thought you were still downstairs.”

“I came to check up on you after you’d been gone quite a while,” Ignis replied quietly. He gestured to her bag. “Where are you going?”

Raine sighed, pushing her hair out of her face. She held her hand against her forehead for a moment, closing her eyes to carefully choose her words. “I just need to get away for a few days.”

Ignis felt his heart drop to his stomach. “Are you certain that it’s a good idea to be alone at a time like this?” He couldn’t help but ask. There were a multitude of other questions racing through his mind, but he could only focus on one thing, which was trying to get her to stay.

“I won’t hurt myself, if that’s what you’re thinking,” she responded, grabbing an envelope that had her name on it and fitting it into a smaller compartment inside her backpack. She let her hands drop to her sides before fully turning to face Ignis. “When you’re traveling with the guys, do you ever feel like you just…need time to be alone?”

_Yes._

“No.”

“Ignis,” Raine placed a hand on her hip. “You’re a terrible liar.”

Ignis exhaled slowly, moving closer to her. He was just inching into Raine’s personal bubble, but for whatever reason, it didn’t bother her. She could almost feel the heat radiating off his body, the fabric from his suit jacket nearly grazing her skin. She welcomed his warmth.

“I’m not usually one to speak candidly,” he admitted, moving to slip one of Raine’s hands in his. “But I know you’ve been through a great deal over the past few days. I understand your need to be alone, and it’d be foolish of me to stop you, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least make the attempt.”

Raine looked up into his eyes. When had he gotten so close?

“It won’t be for long,” she told him, barely above a whisper. “There are just some things I need to do. I swear, it’s nothing bad. And I’ll call you to check in.”

Ignis looked down at the ground, a sad smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “It’s selfish of me to want to go with you, isn’t it?”

“No,” Raine said immediately, giving his hand a light squeeze. “You’re so good, Ignis. And you have such a pure heart. But…there’s just something I have to do. I can’t explain what it is. I just need you to trust me that I’ll come back.”

Ignis gave a small nod.

“Good,” she said, exhaling like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. “I’m sure the guys miss you though. They’re probably living off Cup Noodles without you.”

Ignis let out a quiet laugh, but his eyes were trained on hers. His gaze shifted from her eyes to her lips, and Raine wondered if he was going to kiss her. Her heart thumped in her ribcage, beating so hard against it that she thought it was going to burst through the bone. 

Ignis’ free hand moved at her side, and he raised it up to her face. She looked at him as the backs of his fingers gently stroked her cheek. The way he was looking at her was starting to become overwhelming. She _wanted_ him to kiss her, to pull her in and not let go.

But she felt his touch falter, and his hand dropped back to his side as he took a step back. 

“Be safe,” he said, and the words felt like bullets. The warmth that emanated from him was gone, and he turned to walk out the door.

“Ignis,” Raine called after him, her feet unable to move. She tugged at the end of her braid until her roots started to hurt. He turned slowly, his eyes hopeful as they caught hers. “You know I wouldn’t leave you if I didn’t have to, right?”

His eyes went back to the ground as he soaked in her words. Finally, he said, “I’ll await your return.”

And then she was alone. Just as she had wanted.

But in the silence of her bedroom, as her skin tingled from where he’d touched her, she realized just how lonely the quiet could be.

__________

It was late into the evening by the time Raine made it to Meldacio. She’d managed to hitch a ride out of Lestallum with a delivery truck, and she tipped them a few gil as a gesture of good faith. When she finally got to Hunter HQ, a few friendly faces came by to offer their condolences.

“Hey,” a man she’d met a few times named Charlie said, patting her on the shoulder. Charlie was one of Dave’s friends, and every now and then they’d share a beer together. “Dave told us about your grandma. Sorry to hear about that.”

Raine took in a deep breath, her hands on the straps of her backpack. “It’s alright,” she smiled, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’m…well, I’m not one hundred percent. But I’m surviving. Or at least trying to.”

“Aren’t we all, sister,” Charlie agreed. “You need anything, just holler. A few of us spoke to the owner of the shop. Your money’s no good around here for the next little while. Whatever you need to get back on your feet.”

Raine paused for a second. “Actually,” she pondered aloud before snapping her fingers. “Any of you got a whittling knife?”

__________

The small shack that Raine bought within the Hunter HQ compound was left just as she remembered. She’d built up a good reputation amongst the hunters that lived in the area, so no one ever bothered her or tried breaking in. There was an unspoken rule amongst them that they protected their own.

So when she unlocked the door to see that everything was in its proper place, it was a relief.

Raine set her bag down on her bed. The shack was small and didn’t leave much room for any other furniture—she had a desk with a lamp, a chair, and a bed. There was an army-style chest at the foot of the bed where she kept her clothes and a few other valuables, since it was able to be locked with a key.

She knelt down to unlock the chest, rifling around its contents until she found what she was looking for. She immediately stuck it in her bag in case she forgot it later, and flopped down onto the bed, star fishing and sinking in to the familiar lumpy mattress. She’d spent many nights tossing and turning, wracked with nightmares in that shack. It wasn’t glamorous and it wasn’t comfortable, but for a while, it was home. 

But now, after spending so much time in her grandmother’s house, it felt cold. It didn’t feel like hers anymore.

 _It’s a good thing this is only temporary,_ Raine thought, pulling her phone out of her pocket and scrolling through her contacts. _Maybe I can see if Charlie would want to rent it out or something._

She clicked on Ignis’ name and held the phone to hear ear. He picked up after the first ring.

_“Are you safe?”_

Raine couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, Ignis. I’m safe. I’m in Meldacio, at my old place. I’ve got friends here, they’re keeping an eye on me.” She rolled to her side, bringing her knees close to her chest. “What about you?”

 _“I’ve rejoined Noctis and the others in the meantime,”_ he answered. _“You were right. Their diet has become entirely dismal without my supervision. Apparently no one at camp thought it necessary for the young Prince to eat his vegetables.”_

Raine could hear faint squabbling in the background, and she bit her lip as she smiled. “Well, don’t get too comfortable. I’ll be back before you know it.”

_“I’m counting the days.”_

They talked for a while longer. Raine asked about the others, and he told them that they were in Cape Caem, and that a friend of theirs, Cid, was in the process of building a boat that would take them to Altissia. Ignis mentioned that they had some unfinished business that they needed to sort out first, so it would still be a while before they were able to make the journey.

Raine was secretly thankful. But she didn’t say that out loud.

Soon, sleep started to take over and Raine felt her eyes starting to droop. She eventually fell asleep, her phone still pressed to her ear. Ignis heard her starting to nod off, and he hummed gentle lullabies into the speaker. The tune felt familiar as Raine let herself drift, the sound of his voice sinking into her subconscious and keeping the nightmares at bay until the sun rose the next morning.


	16. Chapter 16

Three weeks had passed since Raine parted for Meldacio and Ignis rejoined the others. There was still more work to be done on the boat, but it was almost ready to set sail. Ignis was starting to worry. Raine kept her promise to call, but as the weeks went on, the calls turned to text messages, and they grew increasingly infrequent.

The guys were camping near the Vesperpool one night when Gladio approached him.

They sat by the side of the fire, a cup of Ebony in Ignis’ hands. He’d been sleeping less, took to drinking coffee in the evenings to stay awake in case Raine called or texted. He didn't want to accidentally miss her in case she needed him.

“You love her, don’t you?”

Ignis was startled out of his thoughts by the question. Gladio watched as his friend struggled to say something, his eyes darting around the ground as if his words had dawned a realization within him.

“I’m not certain.”

“Iggy,” Gladio sighed, leaning back in his chair. “It’s been weeks and all you’ve done is look at your phone. You’re sleeping less, and when you do, you talk about her. You know that it’s okay to fall in love with your soulmate, right? That’s kind of how this whole thing works.”

“I know,” Ignis responded, staring into his mug. “It’s just that…”

Gladio waited as Ignis attempted to find the right words.

“I’ve never felt this way about anyone before,” he admitted. “I can’t keep her off of my mind. She’s in my thoughts every waking moment, and I see her face when I close my eyes. But when I wake, she isn’t beside me, and I long for her. I worry for her safety, and worry that perhaps she doesn’t feel the same.”

Gladio smirked. “Yeah, you’re in love.”

Ignis couldn’t help but roll his eyes, hanging his head low.

“Iggy, look,” Gladio placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “She’s changed a lot since we first met her. And a lot of that is because of you. You’ve helped her through so much already, and Raine isn’t the type of person to keep someone around if she doesn’t care for them. That much is obvious.”

Ignis looked up at Gladio, his eyes hopeful. “I suppose you’re right.”

Gladio nodded, stretching out his legs and crossing them at his ankles. “‘Course I am. Besides, you two were matched as soulmates for a reason. Maybe it was so that you could help each other heal.”

Ignis got quiet, and thought about when he and Raine had baked those cookies together. He thought about how happy she was, how her smile lit up her whole face, how it all felt so natural for them to be together, just enjoying each other’s presence.

He thought of his life without that feeling, how it would feel to never have her take hold of his hand again. And it pained him.

That’s when he knew.

“I love her.”

Gladio rolled his eyes. “Told you.”

That’s when Ignis’ phone buzzed in his pocket. He went to retrieve it immediately, and his eyes read the text message on the screen over and over, unable to hide the smile from his face.

_I’m coming home tomorrow._

__________

Three weeks was longer than Raine had intended. That stupid lumpy mattress in that gods forsaken shack had done a number on her back, and she desperately stretched to get the knots to go away. How had she managed to sleep on that thing for almost two years?

Raine made her way up the hill to her grandmother’s house—now her house, according to her will. Grandma had been cremated, and Raine stopped by first to collect her ashes. It felt so final, seeing her remains in a small bag. She’d had more than one sleepless night in Meldacio where she found herself crying over her, wishing that none of it was true and that Grandma would be waiting for her once she made it back to Lestallum.

But then Raine would re-read her final letter and remember her final lesson.

_Smile and laugh for me, because life is too short to dwell on the past._

Raine promised she would try.

When she finally made it to the house as the sun dipped below the horizon, she unlocked the door, exhaled a deep breath, and stepped past the threshold.

A thin layer of dust coated some of the surfaces, and there was an eerie stillness about the house, but it still felt like home. Raine went upstairs to drop off her things before setting to work on cleaning.

She didn’t know how long she was cleaning until the front door opened a few hours later. Raine turned to see Ignis standing in the foyer, his suit jacket abandoned in the summer heat, and she felt her heart flutter.

She ran to him and threw herself into his arms, holding him close as his arms slid around her waist. He smelled like Ebony and leather, and she hadn’t realized just how much she’d missed him until that very moment. It was as if Ignis was coming to the same realization as his arms held her steady, burying his face into her neck. It was almost as if he thought she would disappear if he were to let go.

Raine reluctantly pulled away from him, her hands sliding down to his forearms. “Hi.”

Ignis smiled, tracing the side of her braid with his fingertips. “Hello.”

Raine told him about her trip back to Hunter HQ as she prepared them each a cup of Ebony. Ignis, in turn, told her about the group’s plans to go to Altissia, updates on what had been happening with the Empire. Raine had become so lost in her own world that she nearly forgot that there was a larger war being waged all around her—she felt guilty that she’d been so selfish, focusing on her own problems rather than understanding the overarching danger that was present for people all over Lucis.

“You know I can’t go with you to Altissia, right?” Raine asked quietly, her hands cupping the warmth of her mug.

“I know,” Ignis responded, his closed off posture mimicking hers. “I could never ask you to, in any case. It’s far too dangerous, and I wouldn’t want you to be in harm’s way.”

Raine looked into his eyes. “And what about you, Ignis?”

He returned her gaze. “What about me?”

Raine hesitated for a moment, as if she wasn’t quite sure what to say. After a beat, she spoke. “Promise you’ll come back?”

Ignis smiled, his hand reaching out for hers. “I promise.”

__________

It was starting to get late. Ignis rose from his seat at the dining room table, but Raine quickly went to his side, one hand slipping in his and the other resting on his forearm.

“Stay?” 

It wasn’t a question, more of a silent plea. Ignis felt his pulse race beneath his skin as he nodded, and she led him upstairs. They prepared for bed separately, Raine opting to stay in her grandmother’s old room while Ignis left his things in Raine’s.

Once Ignis had changed into his night clothes, a sleeveless shirt and pinstriped cotton pants, Raine appeared in the doorway.

“Ignis?”

He turned to look at her. She wore a loose fitting black shirt, much too large for her that drooped off one shoulder, and shorts that showed off her long, toned legs. He tried hard not to gulp too heavily, out of fear that she’d notice and tease him for it. In reality, she was just as mesmerized with him, the fabric of his shirt pulled tight against his lean muscle, the way his muscles flexed as he sorted his things from his bag.

“Um,” she mumbled, suddenly very shy. “I have a gift for you.”

Ignis looked confused, but she beckoned for him to follow. He trailed after her as she led him to the master bedroom. She gestured for him to sit and he obeyed as she wandered over to pick up a large package wrapped in parchment paper.

She sat beside him and handed him the large box. It was square, but about three to four inches in height, and he wondered what it could be. He carefully removed the tape and peeled open the paper to reveal a beautiful chess board with fitted drawers on either side. He pulled each drawer open to find the chess pieces, each of them hand whittled and sanded to perfection.

“Dave helped with the board,” Raine admitted. “And there were a few casualties when it came to carving the pieces. I had to start the knight over a few times.” She looked up at him, her eyes hopeful. “Do you like it?”

“It’s incredible,” Ignis breathed, stunned by her thoughtful gift. “Do you play?”

Raine shook her head. “I was hoping you’d teach me.”

Ignis couldn’t help but smile. “I’d be happy to.”

A light seemed to go off in Raine’s mind and she hopped up suddenly. “Oh!” she exclaimed, wandering over to her bag again. Ignis rose to his feet, watching her curiously. “There’s something else, too.”

She came back with something in her hand, small enough that Ignis couldn’t tell what it was until she was standing nearly toe to toe with him. In her palm was a necklace. A thin, silver chain with a tiny skull pendant looped through it.

“It was Clara’s,” Raine said quietly. “Grandma got it for her when she was born. She used to wear it all the time.” She looked up at him.

“Raine…”

“Please, Ignis,” she whispered. “I want you to have it.” 

Ignis saw the look in her eyes, and finally agreed. Raine took the clasps in her fingers and joined them around the back of Ignis’ neck. The tiny pendant sat just between his clavicles, small enough that it was innocuous but still visible and still present.

Raine’s hands slid down to his chest, and her gaze caught his again. They were standing impossibly close, and she could nearly count every one of his eyelashes as she brought her face closer to his.

Ignis met her halfway and pressed his lips against hers. His hands slid up her sides, just underneath her shirt to fan across her lower back as she clung to him, pressing the length of her body along his. 

Raine wanted to memorize the curve of his mouth, the softness of his lips as they claimed her own. She ran her tongue along his bottom lip and he seemed to hesitate, but only for a second. Whatever insecurity she sensed within that moment disappeared as she felt his tongue gently caressing hers, and he leaned into her as the kiss deepened.

She knew, in that moment, that she loved him.

Raine pulled away slowly, savouring the feeling of his lips lingering on hers. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she could feel his doing the same as he gazed down at her with half lidded eyes.

“Stay with me?” she asked again, and he nodded without hesitation.

Ignis took off his glasses and placed them on the bedside table. They slipped under the covers together, and Raine curled up against his side, his arms coming to encircle her. She pressed a kiss to the base of his throat before settling in, the steadiness of his beating heart lulling her into a dreamless sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

Raine awoke the next morning feeling more rested than she had in years. In her sleep, she’d shifted onto her side, and she felt Ignis’ chest pressed up against her back. She rolled over in his grip to face him, and he mumbled something incoherent. He was still out, and his usually perfectly styled tawny hair fell onto his face.

Ignis looked so peaceful as he slept. His brow relaxed, and his lips were parted slightly to let out small, even breaths. Raine couldn’t help herself. She scooted a little closer and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips, and he started to stir.

The arms that wrapped around her got tighter and he rolled onto his back, pulling her partially onto his chest. His eyes fluttered open and he smiled up at her.

“I thought I was dreaming.”

Raine dipped down to kiss him again, his hand coming up to cradle her cheek. The kiss was slow and lazy, both of them still half-asleep as they held each other close. Raine pulled away first, but then brushed a kiss to the tip of his nose.

“Good morning, handsome.”

Raine’s grin grew wider as Ignis’ face flushed. She sat up and stretched out her arms as Ignis rubbed at his eyes. It was so different seeing him without his glasses. Raine felt like she could really appreciate the colour of his eyes, even though they were bleary from slumber. 

Ignis finally sat up as well, and Raine stole another kiss before sliding out of bed to get ready for the day. Ignis watched her slip into the bathroom before she closed the door, and let out a heavy exhale. He shifted his legs as he got up, trying his best to hide his morning erection as he padded down the hallway to the bathroom that was attached to Raine’s bedroom.

Ignis dunked his head under the stream of warm water as he scrubbed at his face. Normally it didn’t take that long for his morning wood to subside, but he was still hard after he’d finished washing his hair and scrubbing himself down.

He sighed and closed his eyes, resting one hand against the shower wall as the other came to wrap around his length. He was almost ashamed at his lack of self-restraint, but spending the night in Raine’s bed, with her body pressed against his, he couldn’t help himself. Her scent filled his lungs and fuelled his desire as he pumped himself from base to tip.

Ignis imagined her mouth on his, her hands roaming the expanse of his torso. He pictured what she’d look like as he pushed into her for the first time, the sounds she’d make as he took her slowly, as he made her crave him the way he craved her.

Ignis bit his lip to stifle his moans as he thrust into his own fist. He pictured Raine’s face as she tipped over the edge. He came, spurting his seed onto the shower floor, the hot water rinsing it away down the drain. Ignis opened his eyes, panting, as his erection finally went flaccid. 

He silently cursed himself for his lack of self-control. But little did he know that Raine was doing the exact same thing in the bathroom down the hall.

—

They ate breakfast in a comfortable silence, though Ignis flushed as Raine touched her foot to his calf from underneath the table. Ignis reminded himself to be a gentleman, and cleared his throat before taking a sip of Ebony.

“Ignis?”

He lifted his gaze to look at Raine. She was poking her scrambled eggs, looking almost shy as she smiled at him.

“We should go on a real date.”

Ignis chuckled. “What do you suggest?”

Raine shrugged, taking a bite of her food. “Where would you want to go?”

Ignis pondered for a moment. “Perhaps a change of scenery would be nice. We could always book a stay at Galdin Quay for a few days. The restaurant at the resort has some excellent fare. I can call and reserve us a room and a table for dinner, if you’d like.”

The thought of getting Ignis alone in a hotel room was enough to get Raine blushing as she hid her face behind her coffee mug. “That sounds perfect.”

Ignis nodded, his expression similar to hers. “I’ll give them a call this afternoon.”

Raine went to take a sip of her drink and paused. “Before we go,” she remembered, “there’s something I have to do first.”

—

Ignis and Raine made their way over to the outlook, gazing upon the Disc of Cauthess. The breeze was starting to pick up just slightly, and the stray hairs that fell from her braid whipped around her face. Ignis instinctively went to tuck them behind her ear.

Raine pulled the bag filled with her grandmother’s ashes out of her backpack.

“Grandma used to love the outlook,” she said, staring off into the horizon. “The view was her favourite. My grandpa proposed to her here. They both had soulmate markings on their sides that looked like flying doves.”

Ignis watched as Raine hesitated to let go of her grandmother’s remains. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and she exhaled a shaky breath.

“She’d want to be free,” Raine decided. “She always did so much for me and for Clara. It’s only right that I do this for her.”

She gripped the bag firmly in her hands, holding the bag over the edge of the barrier. She flipped it upside down, and Grandma’s ashes spilled out, dancing away in the breeze. The wind picked up again, blowing through the alleyways and the trees below, and Raine could have sworn she heard her grandmother’s laughter.

“Goodbye, Grandma,” she said quietly, a tear slipping free from her eye as the ashes disappeared from view.

Ignis wiped it away with the pad of his thumb and kissed her forehead. “She’d be proud of you.”

Raine smiled, burying her face into his chest. “I hope so.”

They stayed out a while longer, enjoying the afternoon wandering the city hand in hand. Raine shared stories with Ignis of her grandmother, of some of the numerous times she’d made her laugh, protected her, helped her, guided her. It felt like a fitting eulogy, celebrating the times they’d shared rather than lingering on the fact that she was no longer around. Raine said that she could feel her presence, like she was watching over her from the astral plane.

By the time they returned to the house, it was starting to get dark. They’d stayed out and talked for what felt like hours, but Ignis could still sense that something was on her mind.

“Are you alright?” he asked as she hugged her arms around herself, seemingly having some sort of internal conflict. She glanced over at him, her lip worried between her teeth.

“I have to tell you something.”

The way her mood at shifted, the way her brow furrowed in worry made Ignis concerned. She led him to the living room, gesturing for him to sit on the couch. He sat down on one end of the love seat and she sat on the other, her legs tucked into her chest, not touching him.

“I never told you about my parents.”

Ignis looked at Raine, saw as she made herself look impossibly small on the couch next to him. She let out a shaky breath and continued.

“My parents…they weren’t soulmates. My dad was just a guy passing through Lestallum on business for a few weeks when he met my mom. He was from Accordo, and he wasn’t interested in anything long term. She was young and she was beautiful, and she didn’t want anything serious either. So they had a whirlwind affair until he left to go back home.”

Raine sighed.

“He ended up getting her pregnant. She was only eighteen at the time. My grandma never judged her for it. Just brought her to the doctor every few weeks for her checkups, made sure she took her vitamins, and let her know that the baby she was carrying wasn’t a mistake.”

She looked away from Ignis, tugging at the sleeves of her cardigan. 

“She died in childbirth because of a hemorrhage. I never got to know her, but Grandma would tell me stories about her all the time. I never knew my father. He didn’t know that my mom got pregnant. Grandma said he never came back to Lucis. I don’t even know if he’s still alive or if he’s dead.”

Ignis felt a pang of sorrow, but then it was immediately followed closely by confusion. “If your mother passed away in childbirth, and your father is presumably still somewhere in Accordo, then how is…”

Raine lifted her eyes to meet his. “Clara was my daughter.”

Ignis could have sworn he felt the room disappear from under his feet. He sat there with his mouth agape, shock written blatantly across his features. Raine curled in on herself even more. Her voice was so quiet that Ignis had to strain to hear her.

“I was an unruly kid, to say the least. I used to get into trouble all the time. I would get into fights and stay out past my curfew. I don’t know why Grandma didn’t kick me out.” Raine tugged at the end of her braid, unable to look Ignis in the eye. “I was fifteen when I got pregnant. It was just some fling I had with a guy in my class. We were careless and he wasn’t interested in being a father.” She scoffed out a laugh. “Guess I had more in common with my mother than I thought.”

Raine sniffled, trying not to let herself cry.

“I dropped out of school when I found out. I didn’t know how to be a mom. Fuck, I was still just a kid. My grandpa worked twice as hard so my grandma could stay home and take care of me and home school me. When Clara was born, everything in my life changed. I realized how much of a fuck-up I was, and I wasn’t about to let my daughter become anything like me. So I studied as much as I could, got my diploma, and tried my best to be the mom I never had.”

Ignis sat in silence, staring at the ground, absorbing everything that Raine had said. He didn’t know how to respond, didn’t know how to stop his mind from racing with so many questions.

“I left Lestallum to be a hunter after Clara died,” Raine continued. “I didn’t know what else to do, so I ran. Did whatever I could to numb myself. Whether it was drinking, sex, hunting…I didn’t care. As long as I didn’t have to face my reality, I did whatever I could to keep myself going. It went on like that for two years, and it was enough.” She looked up, and gave Ignis a small, sad smile. “Until I met you.”

His eyes snapped up to meet hers. She looked so vulnerable and so raw, like if he were to reach out and touch her, she might break.

“You gave me a reason to want to live again, Ignis,” she said quietly. “I didn’t realize I was drowning until you pulled me back to the surface.”

Ignis just stared at Raine, his eyes darting across her face. She felt a tear leak out.

“Please, say something.”

Instead, Ignis surged forward and caught her in a kiss. She was shocked at first, but as his hand came to the back of her neck to keep her there, she relaxed under his touch and kissed him back. 

He could feel the chill of her tears on his cheek, but he kept his lips on hers, desperate to convey everything he was thinking with his touch alone. When he finally pulled away, they were both breathless, gazing deep into each other’s eyes.

Ignis brought both hands to her cheeks, wiping her tears with his thumbs. “I love you.”

Raine’s breath hitched in her throat, and she was stunned.

“I apologize if it’s soon,” Ignis said in a hurry. “But to deny it would be wrong. Your past doesn’t change how I feel about you. It shaped who you are and led us together. You’re stronger because you survived, and my love for you grows with each passing second. I love you, and I won’t hide it anymore.”

Raine let out a laugh, her smile growing so wide that her face started to hurt. She kissed him again, this time, happy tears slid down her face. She pulled away, resting her forehead against his. “I love you too, Ignis.”

He felt his heart burst as he claimed her lips again, pulling her close as she held onto him for dear life. Ignis pulled her into his lap cradled her in his arms for what felt like an eternity until she spoke up again.

“There’s something I have to do.”

She rose to her feet and padded up the stairs, Ignis following close behind. She went to the master bathroom started to unravel her hair from its braid.

Raine had been growing her hair for as long as she could remember. She started to colour it when Clara was done being breastfed, so that even though she was a mother, she could keep some semblance of an identity. Ignis watched from the doorway as it was finally untangled, reaching just below the small of her back.

She reached into her grandmother’s medicine cabinet and pulled out a pair of scissors. She held up a lock of hair in her hand, lifted the scissors to just above her shoulder, and cut.

Raine glanced at Ignis’ reflection in the mirror, answering his unasked question. “I’m tired of mourning the past,” she said, her voice sounding more determined that he’d heard in a long while as she snipped off another piece. Ignis moved wordlessly behind her, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

She met his eyes in the reflection and he looked at her with so much pride that it made her knees weak. He held out his hand and she placed the scissors in his outstretched palm. He kissed the side of her head and continued to cut, the long blue ends of her hair falling to the floor.

Once he was done, Ignis set the scissors down on the counter and wrapped his arms around her from behind. Raine looked at herself in the mirror and smiled, feeling lighter than she had in her entire life.


	18. Chapter 18

Ignis had left the Regalia with Noctis when he’d returned to Lestallum, so he had to rent a new car in the meantime as a mode of transportation. It wasn’t as flashy as the sleek black convertible he was used to driving, but as he held onto Raine’s hand across the middle console, he had a hard time imagining a more perfect, serene ride.

They arrived in Galdin Quay and checked into their hotel room just before their dinner reservation. The restaurant was fancier than Raine was used to, and she had to dig up an old dress from her closet just to look halfway decent next to Ignis. It was form-fitting and black, hitting just at her mid-thigh. It had a high collar and no sleeves, so her Phoenix tattoo was out on full display.

She changed into the dress, emerging from the bathroom as Ignis waited by the door. Raine tugged self-consciously at the skirt, flattening out the front. “I hate dresses,” she admitted. “Grandma got me this one a long time ago. She said every girl needs a little black dress. But I don’t understand how they can walk in them.” 

Raine continued to grumble until Ignis strolled over, looking dapper as ever in a crisp black suit, and tugged her towards him to plant a kiss on her pouting lips.

“You look stunning,” he said, a finality to his tone. Raine bit her lip and tucked her hair behind her ear. She was still getting used to it being so short, but she had to admit that it was nice to be able to wear it down for a change.

Dinner ended up being one of the most delicious meals Raine had ever tried in her entire life. Ignis had lifted his fork to have her taste his dish, and she couldn’t help but close her eyes to savour the perfect harmony of flavours as they hit her tongue. When she opened her eyes again, Ignis was grinning at her. She went to fiddle with the tail of her braid, and nearly huffed when she forgot it wasn’t there.

They shared a bottle of expensive white wine as they talked about anything and everything. Ignis had never seen Raine look so free. She’d told him everything, shared her deepest, darkest secrets with him, and he was so thankful that she’d managed to pull through everything in the end. She was his warrior, the huntress who stole his heart.

When dessert came, Ignis realized just how much of a tease Raine could be. Not that he wasn’t already aware, because she’d started to eye him in a very predatory way ever since they left the hotel. 

But as someone who had never really been fond of public displays of affection, and as someone who’d never really had a romantic partner, seeing her lick the chocolate icing off of her fork from the cake on her plate shot heat straight to his groin.

As the lights of the resort started to dim, Raine suggested they take a walk along the beach. She held onto his hand, fingers intertwined, as they padded along the sand, the moon shining brightly overhead.

“It’s beautiful out here,” Raine sighed, leaning her head on Ignis’ arm as they strolled. “Almost makes me wish we could stay here forever.”

“If I could wish that future into existence, then I would,” Ignis agreed, remembering in the back of his mind that the boat Cid had been crafting was almost ready, which meant that he would have to depart.

The tourists that had been relaxing on the beach started to wander back to their rooms. The man operating the fishing booth locked up for the evening and headed towards the main building. Ignis and Raine were left alone by the shore. And then Raine got an idea.

“Hey,” she tugged on his arm, leading him to the dock. “Follow me.”

Ignis followed after her, something he realized that he did quite often, but couldn’t keep the confusion off his face when she led him to the end of the dock. “Do you intend on fishing?” he asked, standing a few feet behind her. “I wasn’t aware you enjoyed such activities. Had I known, I would have suggested a trip with Noct.”

Raine peered at him over her shoulder with a small, mischievous smile. Her hands came to the back of her dress and she dragged the zipper down, letting the fabric fall until it pooled at her feet. Ignis gulped as she stood in just her bra and underwear, her shoes abandoned with the dress. She turned back to the water, the glowing barrel fish illuminating the water and casting her in a beautiful blue glow.

“Raine, what are you—”

Then she stepped back, took a running leap, and dove into the water. Ignis ran to the edge of the dock in a near panic, but let out a loud exhale as she resurfaced with a broad smile on her face.

“Very amusing,” Ignis deadpanned. “Come out of the water, what if the fish decide to attack you?”

Raine shrugged, treading water casually. “I’ve swam with barrel fish before. They don’t bother you if you don’t bother them.” She beckoned for him to come closer. “Come on, Iggy. Live a little.”

 _Those damned words,_ Ignis chuckled to himself. His entire life, Ignis was told not to rush. To take his time, consider each angle, each argument, each circumstance. He’d built his whole life around being cautious and standing by, and it was what kept him safe.

But as Raine called to him from the clear blue water, like the siren he’d seen bathing in the river so long ago, he decided for once in his life to throw caution to the wind. He shucked off his suit jacket and undid his dress shirt before stepping out of his pants. He placed his glasses down safely by his shoes so that he was only in an undershirt and his boxer briefs, then jumped in after her.

Ignis emerged, his perfectly coiffed hair slicked back from the water. Raine swam over to him, and he moved to bring her into his arms. Before he could though, she playfully splashed him and caught him off guard.

Ignis pretended to growl and leapt through the water to grab her by the waist, and she let out a shriek of laughter as he snatched her up and tossed her, her limbs flailing as she broke the water’s surface.

Raine swam back over to him and splashed him again, their laughter mixing together as his arms came to pull her close. She looped her arms around Ignis’ shoulders and hitched her legs around his waist. She kissed him then, but something felt different. There was a heat behind her touch, one that was beyond the realm of innocence. Raine ground her hips against Ignis’ and he instinctively bucked at the contact, causing her to gasp against his mouth.

“Ignis,” Raine whispered, her nails digging into his skin. “I need you back in the room. Now.”

__________

The pair had gathered their things left at the dock in their arms and ran back to their hotel room in only their wet undergarments. The resort staff that saw them go by merely shook their heads as the two laughed like they didn’t have a care in the world who saw.

As soon as the door was closed and they were finally alone, Raine pushed Ignis against the wall and tugged him down for a kiss. His hands roamed along the damp skin of her back and he moaned as her tongue slipped into his mouth. The heat between them was starting to scorch, and as Raine backed him up onto the bed, he pushed her back slightly by her shoulders. She looked at him, her brows furrowed in confusion.

“Raine,” he said quietly, his hand resting on her hip. “I’ve never…”

A look of realization dawned on Raine’s face, and she couldn’t help but smile. “That’s okay. We don’t have to if you’re not ready.”

“No, that’s not it,” he said quickly. “It’s just…I don’t want to disappoint you.”

Raine’s face fell and she went to cup Ignis’ cheeks in her hands. “Ignis,” she said, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. “You could never disappoint me. I promise. Besides,” she moved her hand to cup him through his damp underwear, nipping at his ear. “I’m a good teacher.”

She scooted him back onto the centre of the bed and tugged his boxer briefs down his toned thighs. The water on their skin had cooled, but Ignis had never felt more warm. Raine pressed light, teasing kisses up the insides of his thighs, and he felt his cock twitch as her mouth moved closer and closer. It wasn’t long until he was at full attention, and Raine wrapped her hand around his girth.

She bit her lip, looking up at him with half-lidded eyes. “You’ve been keeping this a secret from me for _how long?”_

Ignis wanted to bark out a laugh, but a moan escaped instead as Raine ran the flat of her tongue up the underside of his shaft, her lips closing around the tip. The contact was brief, and he hissed when she took her mouth away. Raine teased him with her tongue some more, alternating between licking and kissing along the side of his length.

She took him in her mouth again, swirling her tongue along the head as she hollowed out her cheeks, and Ignis threw his head back with a groan. His hand ran through her damp hair as he watched her suck him off, and his chest started to heave in short pants as she worked him with her hands and her mouth.

“Darling,” he hissed, pushing her back. “Stop.”

Raine gave him one last lick for good measure before rising to her feet. She bit her lip, looking like a coy little mix as she unhooked her wet bra and let it fall to the floor, her panties following close behind.

Ignis was smitten. Absolutely entranced with this woman, this divine creature that was his soulmate, his other half. She crawled up his lap and kissed him, nipping at his lower lip.

“Are you okay?” she asked, so tenderly that it made Ignis’ heart flutter.

“Yes,” he said truthfully. He was nervous, of course, but the way Raine kissed him and ran her fingers through his hair, he knew that he had nothing to fear.

Raine had been soaked to her core since before dessert, so desperate for him since they’d gotten to the resort that she didn’t need much prep. Still, she dipped her fingers past her folds and made sure she was ready before pushing Ignis to lie flat on his back.

Ignis went to protest, as if he’d wanted to return the favour from earlier, but she shushed him.

“Just relax,” she said, trailing her nails lightly down his torso, loving how it made him shiver. She took his cock in her hand and lined herself up. Ignis swallowed hard, his hands coming to grip her thighs. He looked into her eyes as she slowly sank herself all the way down.

Ignis felt like his heart was a battering ram in his chest, his fingers digging so hard into the delicate flesh of her thighs that she would bruise.

“Fuck, you’re thick,” Raine panted, giving herself a second to adjust. She leaned forward, her hands on Ignis’ chest for leverage as she rolled her hips. Ignis let out an incredulous laugh as she worked him slowly, rising and sinking on his cock at a snail’s pace.

Ignis may never have had a physical relationship with anyone before, but he knew, had heard through others that were close to him, that the bond between soulmates during their first time was something that linked them forever. Regardless of distance, they’d be united. He revelled in the soft velvet of her heat, the way she took all of him over and over, the way her face scrunched in concentration like she wanted to memorize this moment.

Raine lifted Ignis’ hands from her waist to palm her breasts as she rode him. She kept her eyes trained on his as his fingers tweaked her nipples, and she let out a soft moan.

“You look good like this,” Raine panted, a smile creeping up on her face as her hips started to move a little faster. “On your back and all red in the face. You wear disheveled pretty handsomely.”

Ignis laughed, almost surprised by how comfortable and how right everything felt. “You do that to me,” was all he was able to say.

Raine’s hips moved faster now, and she was having trouble keeping her eyes open as she brought herself down on his cock harder and harder. Ignis sat up. Apparently Raine hadn’t been expecting it, because she let out a small squeal as his hands went to grip her ass.

She looped her arms around his shoulders, her nails clawing along the expanse of his back, trailing over his soulmate marking as Ignis started to thrust into her from below. Her mouth was just hovering over his, her moans starting to grow in volume as she met him for every stroke.

“Ignis,” she panted, and Ignis let out a grunt in reply. “Your hand.”

Raine took his hand and angled his fingers so that they were against her clit. He took the hint and started to move them, testing the speed and pressure until Raine started to clench around him.

“Right there,” she gasped, gripping his shoulders. “Just like that. Keep touching me.”

Ignis did as he was told and continued his ministrations. He was getting close, and he could feel the heat coiling in the pit of his spine.

“Raine,” he warned, only able to say her name. She pulled him in for a kiss as she rode him harder, his fingers never ceasing on her sensitive nub. It didn’t take long for both of them to fall apart.

As Raine’s orgasm ripped through her, so did Ignis’. She could feel the pleasure spiking in her veins like nothing she’d ever experienced before, and Ignis let out a roar as he spurted thick ropes of come inside of her. The same way they could feel each other’s pain, they experienced each other’s bliss. Raine’s mind went blank and she slumped against Ignis’ shoulder, snapping out of it long enough to press sloppy kisses along his collarbone.

She pulled back to get up, but Ignis held her close, kept her pressed along his chest as he kissed her slowly, lovingly, like she’d given him everything he’d ever wanted and more. She tangled her fingers in his hair and leaned him back, falling with him until they were a tangled mess in the sheets.

They were both panting heavily, slowly coming down from their mutual high. Raine leaned over and bit down on Ignis’ nipple, and he let out a yelp.

“What, pray tell, was that for?” he couldn’t help but ask.

Raine shrugged. “Too tempting.”

Ignis couldn’t help but laugh. She was so playful and so free, and in turn, it allowed him to feel the same way. It was something he only imagined for himself in his wildest dreams.

Raine laid her head on his chest and drew small designs on his skin. She looked up at him, her face still flush from her orgasm. “What are you thinking about?”

Ignis pushed a strand of hair from her face and traced the contour of her jaw with the back of his fingers. “Just how I was able to get so lucky to have found you, and for us to have gotten our second chance.”

Raine’s lips quirked up into a smile and she scooted up to kiss him on the lips. “If you’d have told me back then that we’d be here, together in this bed, I would have probably slapped you.”

“You’d have laughed in my face, at the very least,” Ignis agreed, his chest rumbling as he chuckled. 

Raine brought her arms around him, curling into his side. She gave a yawn. “You should have just dropped your pants,” she teased. “Would have taken a lot less convincing.”

Ignis laughed then, unable to stop himself. They stayed up a little longer, whispering sweet nothings to each other as they savoured the warmth of each other’s skin. And as Raine dozed off in Ignis’ arms, her face peaceful and calm, he couldn’t help but think to himself that maybe diving in headfirst wasn’t always such a bad idea.


	19. Chapter 19

Raine had gotten into the habit of waking up before Ignis because she liked the moments of gentle quiet just before he woke up. He placed such a burden on his shoulders his entire life by grooming himself to be this perfect person that it was nice to see all of that melt away once his eyes closed.

Her eyes wandered over the bare skin of his shoulder, to where Clara’s necklace sat just between his clavicles. Raine couldn’t help but reach out and gently graze her fingers along the smooth surface of his skin. His arm tightened around her waist at the contact.

“You’re staring,” Ignis mumbled, his face half-buried in his pillow. “I don’t need to see to sense that you’re in the midst of ogling me at the moment.”

Raine giggled and hitched her bare leg over Ignis’ hip, his hand sliding down her rear to hold the underside of her thigh. “Can you blame me?”

Ignis’ eyes blinked open, and he felt his heart flutter at the sight of Raine, so comfortable in her nudity with her hair tousled around her shoulders. She was glowing in the morning sun, an easy smile playing on her lips.

“Hardly,” he replied, leaning in for a kiss. “I, myself, was just thinking of how I may never be able to get enough of you.”

Ignis moved to roll on top of her, still under the sheets, his lips never parting from hers. In the past, when Raine had taken lovers for a night, she’d never let them have her on her back. She was always on top, always controlled her own pleasure and theirs, always stubborn in her desire to see them fall apart.

But as Ignis’ body pressed her into the mattress, his lips latching onto the sensitive skin just below her ear, all she wanted to do was give her entirety to him. To have him hold her in his arms and mold her however he wanted.

Ignis seemed to sense this shift and his hand slid down between them until it reached her silken heat. Raine sighed, biting her lip.

“You’re so beautiful,” Ignis hummed, resting his weight on his opposite elbow as his fingers teased her slit. “Will you tell me when something feels good?”

Raine let out a breathy laugh. “Trust me,” she smirked. “You’ll be the first to know.”

Ignis took his time touching her, running his fingers up to her hooded clit to coax it out, and then barely dipping inside to tease her. Raine closed her eyes and her lips parted slightly, her brow furrowed as his finger slid halfway inside her before withdrawing.

“You’re a fucking tease,” she whined, lifting her hips to try and get him to move faster. Ignis laughed.

“Tell me what you want, my love.”

Raine opened her eyes and turned to face him, his words still so new that it made her nearly lose her breath. She brought a hand up to trace along his jawline, melting at the way he was looking at her.

“Your fingers, please.” 

“And what would you like them to do?”

Raine groaned, unable to help herself. “I swear to the Six, Ignis, if I don’t have some part of you inside of me in the next ten seconds, I will lose my mind.”

Ignis smirked and leaned in to kiss her just as he slid two of his fingers into her heat up to the knuckle. His fingers were long, much longer than hers, and Raine gasped against his lips as he started to pump them in and out.

“Curl them forward,” she managed to breathe out as his steady stroking wasn’t enough. Ignis obliged, finding a rougher patch of skin against the frontal wall of her sex. She bucked on his hand, her face twisted in pleasure, so he continued his stimulation.

It didn’t take long for small sounds to start escaping her lips. Ignis decided that her voice, the way it strained and became light and airy as she succumbed to his touch, was music to his ears.

“Iggy,” she panted, her hands coming up to grip at his shoulders. “I’m so close, keep going.”

Ignis knew she was approaching climax, because he could feel it too. The increasing rate of her heart, the tingling of her nerves as they began to spark, he could sense all of it within her. Raine’s walls started to clench around his fingers as he brought her over the edge, and she cried out his name, his fingers never ceasing as her back arched off the bed.

The sensation of her orgasm left Ignis breathless. He slipped his fingers out from inside her and went to wipe them off, but before he could, Raine took hold of his hand and brought it to her lips. She looked him in the eye as she swirled her tongue around his wet digits and lead them into her mouth, sucking her orgasm clean from his skin. 

Ignis gulped, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he watched her through half lidded eyes. He peeled the sheets back so that he could see all of her, exposed in the morning light like an ethereal being. He kissed her collarbone and trailed kisses further down her chest, sucking and nibbling on each nipple before he settled between her legs.

“Ignis,” she whispered, her hand on his forearm. “You don’t have to.”

He left a lingering kiss on her inner thigh. “I want to. Besides,” he grinned up at her, cheeky and mischievous. “How will I learn if I never try?”

Raine went to laugh, but it fell away from her lips as his tongue lapped against her folds. Her hands gripped the sheets as Ignis experimented, moving his tongue in varied strokes with different amounts of pressure. He watched to see what made her chest heave, what made her knuckles tighten. He used the tip of his tongue to prod at her already sensitive clit and slid his fingers back inside.

“Mmmn,” Raine mewled, biting her lower lip as Ignis found the perfect combination of fingers and tongue that had her beginning to tremble. “Not fair. You learn too fast.”

Ignis hummed against her mons, lifting his head briefly to flash her a dazzling smile. “I had a good teacher.”

Raine let out another giggle as Ignis went back to work coaxing out another orgasm. Raine’s fingers came to card through his tawny locks, tugging gently as her pleasure started to crest. She came with his name on her tongue, his fingers pumping and curling inside of her to keep her in euphoria for as long as he possibly could.

Ignis rose, licking her wetness from his lips. “You are the most delicious thing I have ever tasted.”

Raine hid her face behind her hands, though her smile betrayed her tone. “Oh, gods.”

Ignis was about to retort when his phone buzzed somewhere across the room. Raine sat up, her limbs a little shaky, and watched as Ignis, completely nude, erection straining, went to search for his phone in the abandoned pile of clothes from the night before.

He’d received a text from Gladio.

_The boat’s ready. Sailing in two days._

Ignis sighed, typing a confirmation reply and tossing his phone haphazardly back onto the pile. Raine watched him, saw his expression change, saw how tired he looked all of a sudden.

“You have to leave…don’t you?”

Ignis looked over at her, a silent apology plastered across his face. He came back over to the bed, settling in next to her. “Yes. We depart for Altissia in two days.”

Raine bit her lip and leaned against Ignis’ shoulder. She didn’t want to think about what she would do once he left. The three weeks she’d spent in Meldacio without him, before she realized how deeply she loved him was bad enough. Him leaving, with no promise of return, frightened her to her core.

“We still have time,” Ignis said softly, as if he could read her mind. “Don’t fret about that now. Not here, while I still have you.”

Raine pulled him in for a kiss. “You’ll always have me.”

Ignis held her close, trying to savour the softness of her skin, the brush of her tongue. He never wanted to forget the look she gave him as she pulled him on top of her and spread her legs wide, silently granting him permission. He memorized the way her face looked, just as he’d imagined, as he pushed into her, her eyes fluttering and her cheeks rosy.

He kissed her as he moved, his hips rolling slowly, as if they had all the time in the world. Raine wrapped her legs around his waist to pull him in deeper, a tiny cry leaving her lips as he thrust into her _just right._

Raine’s fingers gripped his sides to urge him on, his thrusts increasing in force. His mouth fell away from hers to bite and suck at the base of her neck, the way she whispered out his name propelling him forward.

The bed creaked and groaned under his strength, and Raine’s moans started to fill the room. The headboard smacked against the wall as he took her, all of her, and she sang his praises until her throat felt sore.

“Ignis,” she gasped, holding his face in her hands as his hands gripped the sheets on either side of her head. Raine could see him tensing, the muscles in his arms bunching as he tried to keep himself under control. She didn’t want him under control. She wanted just _him_ —unbridled, unforgiving, not caring about being perfect, just _being_. “I love you. Let go. I can handle it.”

Ignis’ gaze softened for just a second before his lips claimed hers, and his thrust started to pick up again. She clung to him as he pounded into her, moving so that the tip of his cock was just at her entrance before slamming back inside. She felt all of his frustration, all of his pent-up desire, all of his hurt and all of his fear. She took all of it, pleaded for more, and felt love blossoming in her chest as Ignis showed her his rawest self.

Her name escaped his lips as he felt himself getting close. His hips went into a frenzy, smacking against hers as he chased his release. He came, hard, and hissed as he felt Raine clench around his cock. Her fingers rubbed against her clit, and he could feel the fluttering of her walls as she milked him for all that he had, took everything he gave until he was a boneless heap on top of her.

Ignis’ forehead rested against hers as he shifted his weight to not crush her underneath him. They were both panting, sore and sated from their lovemaking as they basked in each other’s presence.

Raine rolled onto her side, her legs tangling with his. She looked up at him, seeming to study his face, and he peered down at her.

“What is it, my love?”

She looked at him with so much sincerity that it made his heart swell.

“We should get married.”

Just when he thought she couldn’t surprise him again, he felt himself get taken aback. “What?”

“If you want,” she amended, suddenly shy as she curled against his side. “I just thought…with you leaving to Altissia, what if we don’t get that chance? I just…” She sighed, looking away. “Never mind. It’s silly.”

Ignis lifted her chin and kissed her so softly that she wasn’t sure if her heart was breaking or being mended. “I think it’s a wonderful idea,” Ignis replied, his lips still grazing hers. “I would love nothing more than to call you my wife.”

Raine felt tears starting to form in the corners of her eyes. She made a promise to her grandmother that she would try not to cry, but as Ignis looked at her as if she held all of Eos in her palm, she figured a happy tear was an acceptable compromise.

Ignis placed a hand on Raine’s cheek to wipe the tear and she turned her face ever so slightly to press a kiss to his thumb.

“Okay,” she said, butterflies fluttering about in her stomach. “Let’s get married.”


	20. The End

Noctis was helping Prompto and Gladio load some of the items they’d need for their trip to Altissia onto the boat docked at Cape Caem when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and read the name that flashed across the screen.

“Hey, it’s a message from Specs,” he called to the others over his shoulder. He read it over once, and then twice, and then a third time for good measure.

“What’s it say?” Prompto asked, walking over to glance at Noctis’ phone, Gladio following close behind.

“It says, _‘Hello, Noct. I am returning to Cape Caem tonight, and Raine will be staying with us until we set off for Altissia. Would you also be so kind as to do me a favour as both one of my closest friends and the new King of Lucis, and officiate our wedding tomorrow? Speak soon.’”_

Noctis jabbed a finger at his phone.

“What’s this supposed to mean?”

Prompto took the phone from his hand and read the message a few times over. “Uh, are Ignis and Raine getting married?”

Gladio snatched up the phone, reading Ignis’ text as well. A broad grin stretched across his face. “Atta boy, Iggy!”

At that moment, Cindy sauntered up to the dock. “Now, I know I didn’t just hear what I thought I just heard.”

Gladio handed her the phone so she could take a look, and Noctis started to huff in protest, wanting his device to be back in his possession. Cindy’s eyes lit up as she scanned over the message. 

“Well I’ll be,” she smiled with a shake of her head. “I’ve gotta go find Iris. We’ve got some decoratin’ to do.”

__________

By the time Ignis and Raine arrived in Cape Caem that night, everyone was waiting by the side of the road to greet them. Gladio pulled Ignis in for a bear hug, and Raine started to protest as Cindy tried to pick her up and spin her around. There were some introductions to be had, as Raine had never met Gladio’s younger sister, Iris, as well as a young boy named Talcott who would have been about Clara’s age.

Normally, that thought would have made her sad, but when Talcott beamed up at her with his adorable little grin, Raine couldn’t help but smile back at him.

The journey from Galdin Quay to Caem had been long, and Raine was exhausted. She gave Ignis a kiss on the cheek and headed for bed, as he had opted to stay up for a cup of Ebony to catch up a bit with the others.

“So Specs,” Noctis grinned, elbowing him in the ribs after Raine had retreated upstairs to their private room in the old house. “Marriage, huh?”

Ignis shrugged, trying to look noncommittal. “I figured it would have been a waste for us to have journeyed this far outside of the Crown City for a wedding to _not_ transpire.”

“Lucky for you,” Prompto grinned, lifting up his camera, “I’ve got you covered in the photography department.”

Ignis smiled, looking shyly into his cup. “Thank you. All of you. But this is just a simple elopement, neither of us are expecting anything elaborate. We simply wanted to solidify our relationship before we have to depart.”

“You know,” Noctis piped up, a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to stay here. You two seem like you’ve got a good thing going.”

“Finally,” Gladio added for good measure.

Ignis sighed. “I’d love nothing more than to stay here with Raine, but it is my duty to you, Noctis, to stay at your side. And I will see it to the bitter end. She understands this risk, but she also knows I will do everything in my power to return to her once our journey is complete.”

Noctis gave a nod. “Okay.”

When Ignis finally retired for the evening, Raine was already rolled onto her side, eyes closed, her breathing even. Ignis slipped into bed with her, and she immediately rolled to face him, her arms wrapping around his torso to hold onto him like a large stuffed animal.

“I was cold,” came her tired voice as she burrowed into his side. Ignis let out a chuckle and kissed the crown of her head, his fingers playing with the ends of her hair. Raine opened one of her eyes to peer up at Ignis. “Cindy and Iris kept telling me that they had plans for me tomorrow. I don’t know what it means, but I’m a little bit scared.”

“Sleep, my love,” Ignis said softly. “Don’t think about that now. We can worry about what our friends have planned when the morning comes.”

Raine yawned and closed her eyes, drifting off as Ignis hummed his favourite lullaby in her ear.

__________

After breakfast, Cindy and Iris grabbed Raine by the arms and dragged her upstairs to one of the other rooms. They made an excuse to the sputtering huntress about how it was bad luck for the bride and groom to see each other on the big day.

“You do realize,” Raine deadpanned as Iris set to work on her hair, “that we don’t even have rings? The only reason this can even be remotely official is because Noctis is the King.”

Cindy cocked out her hip and placed her fists on either side of her waist. “Honey, a weddin’s a weddin’. And that means you are a bride and we are gonna doll you up.”

Cindy went to shuffle through one of her bags, rifling around until she found what she was looking for. She tossed the white lump of fabric at Raine, who caught it before it could hit her face.

“Go try that on,” she ordered. “It’s the only thing I brought with me that was white.”

__________

Ignis didn’t know what he would do without his friends. When he’d texted Noctis about he and Raine deciding to wed, he thought it would just be the two of them and his three friends by the light house, with Noctis zooming through the ceremony, and that would be all.

Instead, somehow they’d gathered enough materials to make what looked like an actual aisle lined with freshly picked flowers leading to a spot that overlooked the ocean. Noctis changed into a suit and Prompto and Gladio changed into their Crownsguard uniforms. Chairs were set up for the witnesses, being Cindy, Cid, Iris and Talcott.

Ignis stood beside Noctis and his other two best friends as the sun slowly started to descend in the sky. Admittedly, he was nervous. He’d always dreamed of finding his soulmate, marrying them, and settling down to have a family. An elopement in Cape Caem before a mission that had no end in sight was never something he’d imagined in his future. 

But when he thought of Raine, the side of her that she reserved for him alone, the smile that took so much to coax out of her hardened shell, he’d never been more certain of anything in his entire life.

“Here she comes.”

Noctis’ voice pulled Ignis from his thoughts. Raine emerged from inside the old house and came up the side of the hill. When Ignis laid his eyes on her, his jaw hung open in awe.

He’d never seen her in anything other than black. Cindy had given her a beautiful beach dress to wear. It was simple and flowed in the breeze, with thin straps and a skirt that hit just above the knees. Iris had done up her hair in an up-do, with a continuous braid that wrapped around her head like a crown, leaving a few strands that gently framed her face. Iris had also fashioned a small bouquet from the wildflowers that grew around the area, placing a few along the crown to make Raine look even more ethereal than she already did.

Ignis was speechless.

Raine walked up the aisle toward him, her eyes only on his, transfixed on only this moment. She gave her bouquet over to Cindy, and took Ignis’ hands as Noctis started the ceremony.

They held onto each other tightly as Noctis spoke, too enraptured with one another to worry about anything else. They said their vows to one another, quiet enough that only they could hear. Raine could have sworn she heard Ignis’ voice falter ever so slightly, but he regained composure with a clearing of his throat.

The relief Raine felt when they both said _I do_ washed over her, and she could feel the excitement in Ignis as well. They beamed at each other and were one step ahead of Noctis as he said, “You may now kiss the bride.”

Ignis dipped her low and kissed her as her arms came to loop around his neck. Everyone cheered and clapped, with Prompto snapping as many photos as he could. Raine’s heart had never felt more full, never more complete than in that moment.

The group had a lovely dinner together that Ignis had helped prepare while Raine had been accosted by Cindy and Iris. It was a delicious meal, and Ignis kept his hand on Raine’s thigh under the table the entire evening.

Everyone finally parted ways to say goodnight. Raine led Ignis upstairs, and as soon as the door was shut, she pulled him in for a kiss, tugging him towards the bed.

“I have been waiting to get you alone all day,” she breathed, too worked up to focus on anything but getting that damned suit off his body. The way Ignis’ hands shook as he fumbled with her dress told her he felt the same, and she undid the braids along her head until all of the flowers were on the floor.

Their lovemaking was rushed and passionate, Ignis taking her roughly as he slid inside to the hilt. Raine kissed every inch of bare skin that she could reach as he drove into her, muffling her moans with his lips as his tongue explored her mouth.

Raine kept him flush against her, impossibly close but still not close enough. Any distance between their sweat-slicked bodies was too much, and she hooked her legs around his waist to keep him against her. Her teeth and tongue pulled bruises along his neck and collarbone, marks to remember her by as he pressed her into the mattress.

A wanton cry escaped her lips as he brought her to the brink, pushing through her tightness as her walls clenched down around his length. She spasmed around him, his name falling from her tongue like a prayer until he couldn’t take it any more, bursting inside her.

Ignis took her twice more after that, as if she was his oasis and he was a man dying of thirst. If it was to be their last night together, he wanted her to remember it.

When morning came, Ignis woke first. Though he was physically spent, his mind had been racing the entire night. It left him tired and bleary-eyed, and he reached for his glasses, slipping them onto his nose.

He stared out the window at the horizon, the great expanse of sea and thought of what awaited him beyond those waters. He hadn’t noticed when Raine sat up and came up behind him, pressing a gentle kiss to the meteor marking on the back of his left shoulder.

Her hands came to wrap around his waist, and he could feel her breasts pressed against his back. “You really have to go, huh?”

Ignis nodded. “I will return to you.”

Raine leaned her forehead against his spine, trying to capture some of his warmth. She never wanted to forget the feeling of his bare skin on hers, the way his chest rose and fell with each passing breath, or how his hands gripped hers as if she was his lifeline.

“I’ll be waiting.”

__________

The others were waiting by the dock when Ignis and Raine arrived, hand in hand. Her grip subconsciously tightened when she saw the boat stationed and ready. She felt her breath hitch in her throat at the thought of being left alone again.

Ignis turned to her, his friends allowing him a private moment with his new wife before setting sail.

The sight of a tear falling from her eye made Ignis’ heart break. He cupped her face with his hand, the pad of his thumb wiping it away.

“I love you,” he said quietly as she lifted her hand to rest over top of his. “I promise, if it’s with my dying breath, I will make my way back to you and give you the future you’ve always deserved.”

Raine let out a small laugh, unable to stop herself as she cried against his shoulder. “I believe you.” She exhaled shakily, stepping forward to wrap her arms around his middle. “I love you. More than I ever knew that I could.”

Raine lifted her head and met Ignis in one final kiss. She clung to him for as long as she could, memorizing the curve of his lips as they lingered on hers. But as he held her, as she felt a rare tear fall from his eye onto her cheek, it didn’t feel like goodbye. It felt like a promise.

She watched from the dock as the boat set sail, unable to move from the spot even as it shrank into the distance. Cindy and the others had asked if she was alright, but Raine stayed quiet, and they left to give her a moment alone.

Raine closed her eyes, and felt the breeze from the ocean’s current whip through her hair. She lifted her head towards the sky and let the warmth from the sun wash over her, the sound of the crashing waves filling her ears.

 _I’m proud of you,_ she heard her grandmother say as the water lapped at the shore. _We both are._

Raine felt a tear slip from the corner of her eye. Her heart nearly stopped as she felt a tiny hand holding hers, a small voice calling to her. _Don’t cry, Mommy. He’ll come back._

Raine steeled herself, her face set in determination.

“Yeah,” she said aloud, opening her eyes. She reached to touch the crashing meteor along the back of her shoulder, a small, hopeful smile on her lips. “I know he will.”


	21. Epilogue

Dawn broke over the horizon, light pouring in from the open window. Raine felt the warmth against her eyelids and rolled over into the lump that was her sleeping husband, not ready to face the day just yet.

After a few minutes, when she realized the sun wasn’t about to dim itself, she uttered a small, well-meaning curse to Noctis and sat up. That is, she made an attempt before a pair of long, lean arms wrapped around her middle and tugged her back down.

“Good morning,” she mumbled as Ignis nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck.

“Did I hear you cursing Noctis’ memory?” He inquired, his lips moving against her skin and causing her to shiver.

“Maybe,” Raine grumbled as she felt Ignis smirk against her neck. “Wanna tell your friend to maybe turn the brightness down a little?”

She yelped as Ignis bit down, his lips and tongue immediately soothing the spot. Raine let out a sigh as Ignis rolled to hover over her, settling his weight between her legs. She held his face in her hands and kissed the scar marring his left eye, as she always did. He leaned into her touch and she kissed a trail from his cheek to his lips.

It had been a few weeks since Noctis’ sacrifice and since light had returned to Eos. Raine hadn’t realized how much she missed feeling the warmth of the sun on her skin until it was ripped away and she was trapped in eternal night. She was thankful for her grandmother’s house, the memories stored within serving as the only light she could muster as daemons wreaked havoc outside of the city’s borders.

When Ignis had kissed her goodbye before going to join the King for his final battle, Raine didn’t want to let him go.

“Don’t ask me to watch you walk away again,” she begged, clinging to his hand as he reached his other for the door. “Please, Ignis. What if you don’t come back?”

Ignis turned to her, a small, barely there smile on his lips. “My love, when have I ever broken a promise to you?”

He couldn’t see her face, but he didn’t need his vision to know that she was crying. He hated it when he was the source of her tears, so he encircled her in his arms and leaned his forehead against hers.

“I will return to you,” he swore. “The sun will rise in the east, and I will come home.”

Raine kissed him, taking his breath away. Then she said the same words she’d uttered ten years ago. 

“I’ll be waiting.”

When the sun finally rose, Raine ran from where she was standing by the window and into the street. She rubbed her eyes as the darkness shrank away to make room for a new morning. When she finally tore her eyes away from the bright blue of the sky, she saw Ignis coming up towards the house.

Raine called his name and he gave a sad smile. She ran into his outstretched arms and he spun her around, trying his best not to tremble after a hard fought battle and realizing the loss of his closest friend.

She did what she’d always done and mended his wounds, allowed him to cry on her shoulder. Raine hated seeing her husband so helpless, but his resilience and strong heart allowed him to carry on.

Raine traced the scar on Ignis’ lip with the tips of her fingers. “Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?” she asked quietly as she brought her lips up to kiss the mark, before moving to kiss the one on the bridge of his nose and the scar that split his right eyebrow.

“Nearly every day,” came Ignis’ easy reply, one hand sliding down her side to rest at her hip as he rested on his other elbow. “And yet, I haven’t grown tired of it.”

Raine looped her arms around his neck and kissed him, arching her back off the bed to grind her hips against his. Ignis groaned against her mouth and she couldn’t help but smirk. She’d only worn a tank top and underwear to bed, and she could feel his erection straining through his boxer briefs.

Her fingers tugged at the hem of his sleeveless night shirt until it was over his head and on the floor. Ignis’ hands roamed over her body, slipping under the fabric of her tank top to knead her breasts as she mewled under his ministrations.

Ignis had always been an excellent lover—quick to learn what made Raine’s body sing, and always attentive. After he’d lost his sight, the thought crossed his mind that he’d never be able to see Raine’s face contort in pleasure as he took her, wouldn’t be able to savour her half-lidded gaze as he nestled his face between her legs. The realization had pained him to his core.

But without his vision, instead Ignis relied more on touch. Raine never realized how erotic his hands could be as they grazed her skin, never realized the cleverness of his tongue until one night he made her come without going anywhere near her dripping sex. 

Ignis’ nails traced along the underside of her thigh as she ran her hands down his sides. Ignis had always been lean muscle, hard lines and sharp angles. As she got older, as life continued on, her own body had started to soften, and Ignis relished her curves. He loved the fullness of her rear, the small bit of excess weight on her belly that she couldn’t quite get rid of, no matter how hard she tried. All the parts of her that she’d hated, the parts she’d been self conscious about, she grew to love under the devotion of Ignis’ touch.

Raine slid her tongue into Ignis’ mouth as his fingers dipped under the waist band of her panties.

He parted from the kiss, his lips still against hers. “Raine, sweetheart,” he purred, running his fingers along her seam. “You’re absolutely _soaked.”_

Raine went to hide her face against his shoulder. Ignis had learned rather quickly that one of the easiest ways to get her to come undone was his voice—the way he spoke, how the dirtiest things sounded coming from his eloquent speech, was enough to have her boneless on the floor within minutes.

Ignis turned his head to nip at her earlobe, holding it in his teeth as his tongue slowly traced along the bottom. She could feel the heat from his breath on her skin and Raine gave an involuntary shudder, followed by a small moan.

“You don’t play fair,” she whimpered as he teased her folds, rubbing along and around them, but never slipping his fingers inside. “We don’t have much time today, remember?”

“Ah, yes,” Ignis recalled. “How silly of me to forget.” Without warning, he slipped two of his fingers inside of Raine’s heat to the knuckle and she bit back a scream.

“Oh my gods,” she wailed, clawing at his shoulders as he curled his long digits to stimulate the rough patch of skin that only he could reach. “T-that’s cheating!”

“Mmm,” Ignis hummed, kissing a line down the valley of her breasts before sucking one of her nipples into his mouth. He grazed it with his teeth before tugging slightly, earning him another wanton cry. “I’m not interested in playing fair this morning.”

His fingers kept pumping inside of her as his mouth moved lower and lower. Soon she could feel his breath on her mons, and he slicked her panties to the side a little more in order to latch his lips to her clit.

Raine cried out his name as he devoured her, her nails biting into his forearms as he shifted his weight to keep her hips pinned to the bed. Raine could feel herself starting to unwind, her moans filling the room as Ignis brought her closer to the precipice. She came, clenching down on his fingers, and he lapped her up before tugging her underwear off her legs.

She grabbed onto his forearms to pull him back over her again, and she pulled his cock free from his boxer briefs. He hissed as Raine pumped him slowly, dragging her thumb over the sensitive head.

“I’ll pay you back for that later,” she promised, hooking her leg over his hip. “But right now, I just want you to fuck me.”

Ignis smirked, leaning his face down towards his wife. She met him the rest of the way, running her tongue along the bottom of his lip to taste herself on his skin. The action, coupled with the way she tugged his base, had him groaning into her mouth. Raine wet the head of his cock along her folds, her breath hitching as it slid over her sensitive clit. Ignis took his erection from her grasp and lined himself up, pushing himself home.

Raine swore that she would never grow tired of being filled by her soulmate. He fit inside her like a key within a lock, filling her to the absolute brink and making her forget her own name. Her body craved him, pulled him in deeper and deeper until she wasn’t sure who she was without him anymore.

Ignis let out a grunt as she deliberately squeezed him with her walls. “I assume that’s part of your revenge?” he gasped out, giving a shallow thrust.

“No,” her grin evident in her voice. “Just my way of telling you to start moving.”

Ignis laughed, his hand sliding up her stomach under her shirt to caress her ribs, just underneath her breast. “What would you like me to do to you, kitten?”

Raine threw her head back as he started on a slow, languid rhythm. “First of all, keep talking,” she panted, gripping onto his shoulders. “Second, I was serious, we don’t have a lot of time. Please, baby. I need you.”

Ignis kissed her, nipping at her lower lip. “As you wish, my love.”

He slammed into her, hard, and Raine cried out loudly. Ignis’ free hand took hers and intertwined their fingers as he doggedly fucked her, the wet slapping filling the room. Raine had become a much more vocal lover since Ignis lost his vision, her sounds spurring him on and driving him into an absolute frenzy.

“The way you cry out for me,” he grunted, pounding into her, the bed creaking under the force of his hips. “It sets my heart aflame. I love how you take all of me, consume me until I am nothing without you.”

Raine whimpered, her thighs starting to tremble. “Iggy…”

He took her harder, lowering his mouth to her ear. “Tell me, kitten. Tell me how it feels when I fill you, how you need me just as you need oxygen to breathe.”

“Iggy,” Raine moaned, her breasts bouncing as his cock slammed into her. “Please, please, _please—”_

Raine screamed as he pushed in as deep as he could, stapling her to the mattress as her walls clamped down onto his girth. She whimpered out his name as he thrust through her tightness, coming inside of her with a loud roar of his own.

Raine pulled him in for a kiss, her pulse still racing in her ears. Just as his tongue caressed hers, both of them panting and sated, the door burst open.

“Mommy, why are you screaming? Did Daddy hurt you?”

Raine shoved Ignis off of her and scrambled to sit up, thankful that Ignis hadn’t removed her tank top in the heat of their passion. Aurora, their six year old daughter, stood in the doorway in her chocobo pyjamas, looking absolutely befuddled.

“You’re all red,” the little girl noted, looking between them both. “Were you wrestling?”

It was during moments like these that Ignis was glad he was blind. It saved him at least a modicum of embarrassment. 

“Um,” Raine stammered, moving to fix her hair as, underneath the blanket, Ignis ran the palm of his hand along her inner thigh. She turned and fixed a glare at him, hoping he could sense it. If he did, it didn’t deter him. “We were just playing, sweetheart. Sorry if we woke you up.”

“Well, you were loud,” Aurora frowned, looking exactly like her mother as her dark hair fell into her sea foam eyes. “When are we going to the beach?”

Raine glanced at the clock on her bedside table. If they were to going to make it to Galdin Quay at a reasonable hour, they’d have to leave soon. Thankfully, Ignis had packed everything that they needed the night before, it was just a matter of getting in the car and driving off.

“Darling,” Ignis said, his hand not moving from Raine’s thigh, much to her dismay. “Is your brother awake yet?”

“M’here,” their ten year old son, Lucas, padded into the room. His hair, tawny like his father’s stuck up at odd angles as he rubbed the sleep from his dark brown eyes. He held his glasses in his other hand. “I heard screaming. What happened?”

“They were playing,” Aurora informed her brother, her arms crossed over her chest. Lucas slid his glasses onto his nose and peered at his parents. Raine wanted to die.

“Uh huh,” Lucas noted, unconvinced. “Sure. _Playing.”_

Raine turned ten different shades of red as Ignis just smirked, giving her thigh a squeeze. She wanted nothing more than to smack the smug look off his face, but the kids were still in the room.

“Okay, okay,” she sighed, waving her arms towards the door. “Everybody out. Go get ready, we’re leaving in thirty minutes. And close the door behind you.”

Lucas and Aurora exchanged shrugs and filed out, the door latching shut with a small click. 

As soon as they were alone, Ignis felt a pillow being launched into his face. 

“You’re the worst!”

He couldn’t help but laugh, his arms looping around his wife’s waist as she battered him incessantly wherever she could reach. Ignis took the pillow from her grip and tossed it away, tugging her back down onto the bed and silencing her grumbling with a kiss.

She melted into him, as she always did, scooting closer as if she’d forgotten that they’d just been caught in the throws of passion by their own children. Raine pulled away with a sigh, her thumb rubbing along Ignis’ cheek.

“Lucas is getting too smart for his own good,” she noted. “Just like his father.”

“And Aurora is developing quite the attitude,” Ignis quipped. “Not unlike someone I know.”

Raine burrowed her face in his chest. Ignis smiled, feeling her body shake with laugher at the entire situation. As he held her close, his fingers tracing over where he knew the meteor marking on her right shoulder to be, he couldn’t help but think about the dreams he had as a child about what his future would be like.

He thought of the house by the Citadel, the doting wife and well behaved children. He’d imagined this quiet, comfortable life, free of chaos and devoid of hardship.

But as he held Raine in his arms and heard the sound of his two children running down the stairs of her grandmother’s house, screaming loudly about going to the beach, he couldn’t help but smile. Life with Raine hadn’t been anything like what he had expected. And still, as she pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek, he couldn’t imagine anything more perfect.


End file.
